Contingencies and Other Risks

In the normal course of business, we enter into transactions that expose us to varying degrees of risk. For additional information on contingencies and other risks arising from such transactions, refer to Note 29 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in our 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Mortgage-Related Matters

ResCap Bankruptcy Filing

On May 14, 2012, Residential Capital, LLC (ResCap) and certain of its wholly owned direct and indirect subsidiaries (collectively, the Debtors) filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (Bankruptcy Court). In connection with the filings, Ally Financial Inc. and its direct and indirect subsidiaries and affiliates (excluding the Debtors) (collectively, AFI) had reached an agreement with the Debtors and certain creditor constituencies on a prearranged Chapter 11 plan (the Plan). The Plan included a proposed settlement (the Settlement) between AFI and the Debtors, which included, among other things, an obligation of AFI to make a $750 million cash contribution to the Debtors' estate, and a release of all existing or potential causes of action between AFI and the Debtors, as well as a release of all existing or potential ResCap-related causes of action against AFI held by third parties.

The Settlement contemplated certain milestone requirements that the Debtors failed to satisfy, including the Bankruptcy Court's confirmation of the Plan on or before October 31, 2012. While the failure to meet this October 31 milestone would have resulted in the Settlement's automatic termination, AFI and the Debtors agreed to monthly temporary waivers of this automatic termination through February 28, 2013. This waiver was not extended beyond this date, and therefore the Settlement has terminated.

As a result of the termination of the Settlement, AFI is no longer obligated to make the $750 million cash contribution and neither party is bound by the Settlement. Further, AFI is not entitled to receive any releases from either the Debtors or any third party claimants, as was contemplated under the Plan and Settlement. However, AFI has not withdrawn its offer to provide a $750 million cash contribution to the Debtors' estate if an acceptable settlement can be reached. As a result of the termination of the Settlement, substantial claims could be brought against us, which could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows. For further information with respect to the bankruptcy, refer to Note 1.

Mortgage Settlements and Consent Order

On February 9, 2012, we announced that we had reached an agreement with respect to investigations into procedures followed by mortgage servicing companies and banks in connection with mortgage origination and servicing activities and foreclosure home sales and evictions (the Mortgage Settlement). Further, as a result of an examination conducted by the FRB and FDIC, on April 13, 2011, we entered into a consent order (the Consent Order) with the FRB and the FDIC, that required, among other things, GMAC Mortgage, LLC (GMAC Mortgage) to retain independent consultants to conduct a risk assessment related to mortgage servicing activities and, separately, to conduct a review of certain past residential mortgage foreclosure actions (the Foreclosure Review). The Debtors are primarily liable for all remaining obligations under both the Mortgage Settlement and Consent Order. AFI is secondarily liable for the specific performance of required actions, and is jointly and severally liable for certain financial obligations. On September 19, 2012, the official committee of unsecured creditors appointed in the Debtors' bankruptcy cases (the Creditors' Committee) filed an objection to the Debtors' motions to compensate the independent consultants for their Foreclosure Review services. In its objection, the Creditors' Committee alleged, among other things, that AFI should be responsible for the costs of the Foreclosure Review. On October 11, 2012, the Bankruptcy Court entered an interim order allowing the Debtors to continue paying the independent consultants on an interim 90 day basis, while reserving all parties' rights with respect to the allocation of costs between the Debtors and AFI for the Foreclosure Review. The Bankruptcy Court has subsequently issued interim orders authorizing the Debtors to continue paying the independent consultants until May 14, 2013.

On February 27, 2013, the Debtors filed a motion with the Bankruptcy Court seeking, for purposes of any proposed Chapter 11 plan, that GMAC Mortgage's obligation to conduct and pay for independent file review regarding certain residential foreclosure actions and foreclosure sales prosecuted by GMAC Mortgage and its subsidiaries, as required under the Consent Order, be classified as a general unsecured claim in an amount to be determined, and that the automatic stay under the Bankruptcy Code be applied to prevent the FRB, the FDIC, and other governmental entities from taking any action to enforce the obligation against the Debtors (the Foreclosure Review Motion). The Bankruptcy Court is expected to issue a written opinion on the relief sought in the Foreclosure Review Motion in the near future. If the Bankruptcy Court approves the Foreclosure Review Motion, such governmental entities are likely to seek to enforce the obligation against AFI, and any such obligations ultimately borne by AFI could be material.

Legal Proceedings

We are subject to potential liability under various governmental proceedings, claims, and legal actions that are pending or otherwise asserted against us. We are named as defendants in a number of legal actions, and we are involved in governmental proceedings arising in connection with our respective businesses. Some of the pending actions purport to be class actions, and certain legal actions include claims for substantial compensatory and/or punitive damages or claims for indeterminate amounts of damages. We establish reserves for legal claims when payments associated with the claims become probable and the payments can be reasonably estimated. Given the inherent difficulty of predicting the outcome of litigation and regulatory matters, it is generally very difficult to predict what the eventual outcome will be, and when the matter will be resolved. The actual costs of resolving legal claims may be higher or lower than any amounts reserved for the claims.

Mortgage-backed Securities Litigation

Ally Financial Inc. and certain of its subsidiaries are named as defendants in various cases relating to ResCap mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and certain other mortgage-related matters, which are described in Note 29 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in our 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K (collectively, the Mortgage Cases). We had previously disclosed that several of the Mortgage Cases were subject to orders entered by the Bankruptcy Court staying the matters through April 30, 2013 in connection with the Debtors bankruptcy. On May 1, 2013, all stay orders applicable to the Ally non-Debtor defendants with respect to the Mortgage Cases expired. As a result, all of the Mortgage Cases are proceeding against us.

The following supplements the case descriptions provided in Note 29 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in our 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

FDIC Litigation

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation filed four complaints against Ally Securities LLC (Ally Securities) between May 2012 and August 2012 alleging violations of federal and state securities laws, in each alleging that Ally Securities made misleading statements in a registration statement. Plaintiff seeks rescission and money damages in all cases including pre- and post-judgment interest, attorney's fees and costs of court. Ally Securities has motions to dismiss pending in two of the four cases. Of the remaining two cases, one case has been remanded to state court in Texas, and the FDIC is challenging the federal court's jurisdiction in the second case.

FHLB Litigation

The claims against Ally Financial Inc. and GMAC Mortgage Group were dismissed in an order dated March 14, 2013. The negligent misrepresentation claim remains against Ally Securities.

New Jersey Carpenters Litigation

A class was certified upon Plaintiffs' request for reconsideration. The defendants' application for leave to appeal the class certification was denied on March 26, 2013.

Union Central Life Litigation

The defendants filed motion to dismiss on July 27, 2012, which was granted, and the case was dismissed on March 29, 2013. The plaintiffs have until May 28, 2013 to amend their complaint.

Regulatory Matters

We continue to respond to subpoenas and document requests from the SEC, seeking information covering a wide range of mortgage-related matters, including, among other things, various aspects surrounding securitizations of residential mortgages. We are also responding to subpoenas received from the U.S. Department of Justice, which include broad requests for documentation and other information in connection with its investigation of potential fraud and other potential legal violations related to mortgage backed securities, as well as the origination and/or underwriting of mortgage loans. In addition, the CFPB has recently advised us that they are investigating certain of our retail financing practices. It is possible that this could result in actions against us.

Loan Repurchases and Obligations Related to Loan Sales

Representation and Warranty Obligation Reserve Methodology

The representation and warranty reserve was $170 million at March 31, 2013 with respect to our sold and serviced loans. The liability for representation and warranty obligations reflects management's best estimate of probable losses with respect to Ally Bank's mortgage loans sold to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. We considered historical and recent demand trends in establishing the reserve. The methodology used to estimate the reserve considers a variety of assumptions including borrower performance (both actual and estimated future defaults), repurchase demand behavior, historical loan defect experience, historical mortgage insurance rescission experience, and historical and estimated future loss experience, which includes projections of future home price changes as well as other qualitative factors including investor behavior. It is difficult to predict and estimate the level and timing of any potential future demands. In cases where we may not be able to reasonably estimate losses, a liability is not recognized. Management monitors the adequacy of the overall reserve and makes adjustments to the level of reserve, as necessary, after consideration of other qualitative factors including ongoing dialogue and experience with counterparties. At the time a loan is sold, an estimate of the fair value of the liability is recorded and classified in accrued expenses and other liabilities on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet and recorded as a component of gain (loss) on mortgage and automotive loans, net, in our Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income. We recognize changes in the liability when additional relevant information becomes available. Changes in the estimate are recorded as other operating expenses in our Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income.

On April 16, 2013, we completed the sales of agency MSRs to Ocwen Financial Corporation and Quicken Loans, Inc. The sale to Ocwen Financial Corporation included the transfer of the representation and warranty liabilities associated with the majority of the MSRs sold at a specified price. The repurchase reserve at March 31, 2013 also reflects losses associated with this contractual obligation. Pursuant to that obligation, we recognized additional provision expense in the period to reflect the terms of the sale of the MSRs asset. Refer to Note 27 to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information related to the MSRs sale.

The following table summarizes the changes in our reserve for representation and warranty obligations.



Three months ended March 31, ($ in millions)	2013 (a)			2012 (b)
Balance at January 1,	$	105		$	825
Provision for mortgage representation and warranty expenses
Loan sales	4			5
Change in estimate — continuing operations	83			19
Total additions	87			24
Resolved claims (c)	(23		)	(42		)
Recoveries	1			4
Balance at March 31,	$	170		$	811


(a)	The liabilities are held by Ally Bank and a majority of the previous liability was eliminated as a result of the deconsolidation of ResCap. Refer to Note 1 for more information regarding the Debtors' Bankruptcy and the deconsolidation of ResCap.


(b)	Includes activities of our discontinued operations.


(c)	Includes principal losses and accrued interest on repurchased loans, indemnification payments, and settlements with counterparties.

Other Contingencies

We are subject to potential liability under various other exposures including tax, nonrecourse loans, self-insurance, and other miscellaneous contingencies. We establish reserves for these contingencies when the loss becomes probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. The actual costs of resolving these items may be substantially higher or lower than the amounts reserved for any one item. Based on information currently available, it is the opinion of management that the eventual outcome of these items will not have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, financial position, or cash flows.