Is CIT Relevant?

  • CIT provides financing to over 1,000,000 small and mid-sized businesses. 

 

  • CIT provides more loans than any other lender under the Small Business Administrations most popular program.

 

    CIT is the provider of capital to America's small businesses. One can argue that there are others such as GE, but no other company has the focus of CIT. Given the other bailouts, saving CIT should be a no brainer. The Wall Street Journal reports that there has not been a ground swell of public support for assistance to CIT.

 

    Ironically hasn't the public complained that the large banks aren't lending bailout dollars quickly enough to help the economy? CIT likes to make loans, they are good at making loans, and CIT is has the best infrastructure in place for getting out financing for the small businesses that can generate jobs. Importantly they are not punch drunk push-overs that make stupid loans. Their trouble emanates from the current economic contraction.

 

    The stimulus programs are not going to work unless money is put to work. CIT actually has the infrastructure in place to augment the recovery of small business in America. Here is a great opportunity to save a financial institution worth saving.

Financial Bailouts - A Letter To Congressman Brian Bilbray

Dear Sir:

The goal of federally financed bailouts should only be to augment feasible plans of reorganization, not to prolong the life of businesses beyond hope.

Bailout recipients should be required to devise and execute a feasible "Plan of Reorganization" as in Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. The financing could be in 2 parts: 1) the first part can provide interim financing while a Plan of Reorganization is developed; and 2) the second part will be "Exit Financing" that should only be provided to companies that can prove a that they have a feasible Plan of Reorganization.

All of the laws to administer the process are present in the Bankruptcy Code, with the exception of any legislation needed to let the government step into the shoes of the provider of the money. The Bankruptcy Courts also provide the only forum where certain issues can be dealt with (renegotiation or cancelation of existing contracts, protection for warrantee holders, etc.).

To handout money without conditions is not fair to the taxpayers, however given the seriousness of the financial problems we are faced as a nation perhaps a structure that requires responsible action by the recipients (with a recovery for the government) makes sense.

Respectfully,

Richard Feferman, Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor
Corporate Recovery Associates
3830 Valley Centre Drive, Suite 705-152
San Diego, CA 92130
Tel: (858) 792-7473
email: richard@crarecovery.com
blog: www.creditorsresource.com