January 2012 Entries

Banks probed over home insurance

The New York state's financial regulator is probing several large banks, including Bank of America Corp and Citigroup Inc, on whether they overcharged customers on force-place insurance, a source familiar with the matter said.  The probe centers on so-called force-place insurance -- where the loan servicer steps in and buys an insurance policy in the event of a homeowner failing to keep up their insurance premiums -- an increasingly common practice, the source said.  JPMorgan Chase & Co and Wells Fargo & Co are among the other major banks involved in the inquiry by the office of Benjamin Lawsky, the superintendent of New York State's Department of Financial Services, the...