Articles by Rick Rothacker

BofA Whistleblower to Receive $14.5M in Mortgage Case

A former home appraiser will receive $14.5 million as part of a whistleblower lawsuit that accused subprime lender Countrywide Financial of inflating appraisals on government-insured loans, his attorneys said Tuesday. Kyle Lagow’s lawsuit sparked an investigation that culminated in a …

Whistleblowers Reaping Rewards in U.S. Mortgage Suits

Troubled homeowners are not the only ones set to get a financial lift from the U.S. government’s $25 billion landmark mortgage settlement. Whistleblowers who were instrumental in revealing epidemic mortgage abuses, some of whom risked their careers to do so, …

Banks Still Face Legal Claims After $25 Billion Settlement

A landmark $25 billion settlement over foreclosure abuses will allow large banks to resolve one piece of their mortgage-related problems. But it still leaves them exposed to a wide range of lawsuits and other claims related to the housing crisis. …

Bank of America Reaches Settlement in Countrywide Case

Bank of America Corp. has reached a settlement with former Countrywide Financial Corp. institutional investors who decided not to join a $624 million class-action case that won court approval in February. The terms of the accord were not disclosed in …

Wells Fargo Agrees to Settle Derivative Suits with Municipalities

Wells Fargo & Co. has agreed to settle class-action lawsuits filed by various municipalities alleging bid-rigging by Wachovia’s municipal derivatives group, according to a securities filing Tuesday. Wells Fargo, which acquired Wachovia in 2008, agreed to pay the larger amount …