Title Alliance, Ltd., a subsidiary of First American Title Insurance Company, recently named Nancy Warner as executive vice president and chief operating officer of TA Holdings, Inc., and all its subsidiary companies.

Fitch Ratings has assigned GMAC Mortgage, LLC, a residential primary subservicer rating of ‘RPS1,’ the highest score assigned by the ratings agency. The rating applies to prime and nonprime assets, first mortgages, closed-end second mortgages, and HELOCs.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Company released a supervisory letter on Monday to financial institutions nationwide reminding them of their policies on predatory lending. The FDIC stated that the increasing availability of credit has caused a rally of effects for the industry.

NeighborWorks American received a $300,000 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to support its Campaign for Home Ownership and Training Institute. NeighborWorks Campaign for Home Ownership was established in 1993 and has since provided $10 billion in home loans and assisted 100,000 people to become homeowners, most of which were first-time home buyers and had low to moderate incomes.

Chase announced today the promotion of David Lowman to a higher position in Retail Financial Services. Lowman joined Chase in November as chief executive officer of Global Mortgage. In his new role, Lowman will be responsible for home equity and default as well as combining all of Chase’s consumer real estate business.

Barclays Bank PLC announced Friday its agreement to purchase EquiFirst Corporation, Regions Financial Corporation’s nonprime origination business. I am delighted to acquire such a strong management team with EquiFirst, and we welcome the EquiFirst staff to Barclays Capital, said Grant Kvalheim, co-president of Barclays Capital.

Citigroup announced today its plans to acquire ABN AMRO Mortgage Group, a national prime and residential mortgage loans originator and servicer. Citgroup will purchase roughly $9 billion in net assets and ABN AMRO’s servicing portfolio of approximately $224 billion.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Director R. David Paulison informed U.S. Senator Mary L. Landreau (D-LA) in a briefing Friday afternoon that the agency plans to extend the transitional housing assistance program for residents displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita by at least six months.

Governor Rod R. Blagojevich directed the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations (IDFPR) to suspend HB 4050, the state’s pilot program aimed at eliminating predatory lending in 10 zip codes on the south side of Chicago.

Tulsa-based Williams & Williams, a real estate auction firm, announced today its plans to launch a program that will benefit not only consumers whose mortgages are at risk of going into default, but also their lenders.