Raise your hand if you think your home state has the worst drivers in America. Now, lower your hands if you don't happen to live in either New York or New Jersey. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that the average driver in your particular state is all that great, regardless of what city you choose to call home. According to this year's GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test, an alarming 20.1% of licensed Americans would not pass a written drivers test exam if taken today.

For what it's worth, those people who couldn't manage to pass the basic driving test amount to roughly 41 million drivers that are currently piloting two-ton weapons of mass destruction on American roads. Before you get all up in arms over this news, consider taking the test yourself. Even if you pass, you might pick up on a few valuable reminders that may have slipped your mind at some point since you last took the test, probably at just 16 years of age or so.

Oh, the states that have the smartest drivers? That would be Idaho and Wisconsin, which tied for first place with an average test score of 80.6 percent.

[Source: GMAC Insurance | Photo: fireflythegreat - cc 2.0]

According to The Detroit Free Press, the U.S. Treasury has dumped another $7.5 billion into GMAC's coffers just two weeks after the bank was told by federal regulators that it needed billions in order to survive. In another government-backed boost, GMAC is now allowed to issue FDIC-insured debt. Both actions are reportedly designed to help restore faith in the damaged U.S. credit markets.

Founded in 1919, and traditionally a longtime lender to General Motors dealers and customers, the government recently ordered GMAC to extend the same lending offers to Chrysler dealers and their customers. "This new arrangement with GMAC will help provide a reliable source of financing to both auto dealers and customers seeking to buy cars," said Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Approximately $4 billion of the new infusion will support go to support dealer and retail loans for the Chrysler brand, while the remaining $3.5 billion is designed help GMAC address its capital needs in order to survive.

[Source: The Detroit Free Press]

GMAC has loosened the purse strings, with General Motors' finance arm allocating $6 billion for auto loans for the next 60 days. The 60 day mark is critical to GM, as it is the government's drop-dead date to satisfy Auto Task Force viability requirements. The cash infusion will help struggling dealers with dried up credit channels, but it will also be used to finance cars and trucks to people with credit scores under 620. The under 620 crowd is referred to as subprime, a term that is now synonymous with the words "bailout" and "recession."

Back in October, GMAC restricted lending to customers with scores over 700, and when the U.S. government provided a $6 billion in loans, the minimum score was lowered to 620. GMAC insists that the under 620 score would be approved sparingly, and buyers would still be required to qualify for financing. NADA chairman John McEleney says that the lowered credit score minimum could result in the ability to help 30-35% more Americans get into a new car or truck. And while overplaying the subprime card can lead to more trouble, at this point, the General clearly has to do something to get metal moving again.

[Source: Automotive News subs req'd | Image: Joe Raedle/Getty]

The recent string of government bailouts has placed a 50,000-watt spotlight on executive pay. Executives from Detroit automakers have already cut their pay to show the public and their own workforces that they're sacrificing for the greater good. There hasn't been much focus, however, on finance arm executives, though there likely will be after Automotive News learned that GMAC CEO Alvaro de Molina was paid $11.6 million in 2008. Molina's 2008 windfall comes one year after he pulled in nearly $5 million in 2007; an amazing amount of money considering he started at GMAC in September of that year.

The breakdown of what Molina earned in 2008 is actually $1.2 million in salary, $5.81 million in stocks and $4.8 million of "other" compensation, offset by stock options that pulled the grand total down by $194,000. Included in the $4.8 million "other" compensation is $2.26 million in usage of a company jet, a privilege that has since been revoked.

If your stomach is turning at the thought of a finance CEO making $11.6 million when his company is losing billions on its mortgage and automotive finance operations, you're not alone. We're guessing that Molina's 2009 will be significantly less lucrative than 2008, but likely still more than most of us feel any CEO deserves.

[Source: Automotive News subs req'd]

Dave Capps is in the business of renting vans. In order for him to stay in that business, he needs to buy new vans – 1,000 of them, to be precise. And although he's been a GMAC customer for 20 years, remains in good standing, and gets much of his current inventory financing from GMAC, he can't get the credit he needs to buy the new vans. So Capps rented a billboard in Dallas to be an appeal to anyone willing to lend him the money.

GMAC hasn't discussed why it won't give Capps the necessary credit. According to Capps, "GMAC said that they don't do vehicle loans and their new GMAC bank is prohibited from loaning money for vehicles. I have to take their word that they can't do that." We're not sure how that conversation went down, but if Capps really was told that newly minted bank holding company GMAC can't loan money for vehicles, well, we have a lot of questions.

After GMAC received a $5 billion loan from the government, it said it would open up dealer financing. A short time later, dealers said they didn't notice any opening and kept getting their credit applications rejected. While Capps isn't a dealer, he does share the need to purchase GM products to keep his business going. We don't know what GMAC's reasons are for keeping the vault locked, but we hope they're pretty good if it means turning down a guy who wants a thousand vans. Hat tip to Rick!

[Source: DFW Stangs]

That Chrysler continues to struggle isn't exactly news. As a whole, the auto industry is tanking and cars just aren't moving off dealer lots. Chrysler initially responded by offering buyouts to its entire workforce, and 25% off all its salaried workers took the company up on the offer. Earlier this week, we learned that the ailing Auburn Hills empire will get cozy with Italian automaker Fiat. What we haven't heard as much about, however, is the health of Chrysler's parent company, Cerberus Capital Management.

Like many investment institutions, the three-headed dog is looking to save money, and some of that cash may come at the expense of its workforce. Cerberus has 275 workers around the globe, and up to 10% of those employees will likely face the axe. The private equity firm has struggled with Chrysler, GMAC and Chrysler Financial, but anyone watching the stock market knows the rest of the business world hasn't really fared much better. Blackstone, which also bid on Chrysler back in 2007, is cutting 5% of its workers, and the Carlyle group 10%. The Cerberus job cuts are only a fraction of the bloodletting Chrysler has had to endure over the past two years, but at least it shows that the Pentastar isn't the only one making the sacrifice.

[Source: Automotive News subs req'd]

Show me the money. With apologies to Cuba Gooding Jr., that is exactly what many General Motors dealers are saying to GMAC Financial Services.

Despite being given $5 billion from the U.S. Government last month, GMAC apparently hasn't loosened its purse strings enough for dealers' likings. Some, in fact, are reporting that GMAC keeps rejecting their credit applications. This is somewhat surprising because GMAC previously agreed to lower the necessary minimum credit score ratings from 700 to 621 for new vehicle loans, so presumably more requests should be going through. Dealers are frustrated and although some preferred dealers have seen loan rate reductions, others are saying that GMAC is still as much as 1.5 percent higher than the competition.

In response to this problem, dealers have come up with a wish list of sorts. They are asking that GMAC return to leasing, approve some sub-prime loans and cut interest rates for loans to dealers to help finance their inventory. Also of concern is the fact that customers are increasingly upside down on their trade-ins. As a direct result, these consumers are having trouble getting approved because GMAC requires bigger down payments than it once did.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req.]

The Wall Street Journal puts forth the case that the government's $5 billion lifeline to GMAC has given GMAC a competitive advantage compared to its rivals. After the taxpayer cash was received, GMAC dropped the required credit score to get a loan and began offering 0% financing on several models, and rates from about 1% to 6% on a host of others. While doing so, it admitted that "without this [loan] . . . we would not be able to do this today."

The Journal cries foul, saying that because GMAC is essentially doing this with -- or at least, because of -- government money, "the feds have now put the muscle of the state behind one company's products." The Journal also considers that the government might do what it can to make sure the horses it bet on win the race, saying "the Washington temptation will be to take other steps to help the two companies gain market share at the expense of their private competitors."

As to the issue of granting the loan to GMAC at all, the government didn't have much choice unless it wanted its previous investment in GM to potentially get flushed by a GMAC bankruptcy. As to 0% fiancing, it's being offered on SUVs and Saabs, none of which are making the cash register overheat. A quick comparison between financing in Southern California through GMAC or Ford Credit found similar rates on other cars: the 2009 Malibu gets 4.9% APR, the same as the 2009 Ford Taurus SEL AWD.

Will the government try to otherwise help GM and Chrysler (beyond pushing more money their way)? The airlines got $15 billion after 9/11, yet would anyone accuse the government of otherwise aiding the industry? As to intervention in the free market... well, when was the last time the market was truly free? And Does GMAC's ability to offer the new incentives give it a competitive advantage over the other companies? It only lasted until January 5th, and some GM dealers did say they were moving metal -- but if the benefit really was that lopsided, we're sure those competitors will let us know about it soon enough.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

GMAC, General Motors' finance arm, was granted bank holding status, but there is still no word on whether the bond buyback was successful. The deadline for GMAC to have converted enough of its bonds - said to be 75 percent - into $28 billion in liquidity was on Friday, December 26, at 11:59 p.m. In return for bondholders converting their bonds to those of lesser value, they would receive a higher dividend.

Two weeks ago, GMAC said it found a slew of new bondholders, but didn't say whether the new participants would put it above the threshold. Now more than two days past the deadline, GMAC has only said "We have not yet issued final results but intend to in the near term." This kind of silence usually means that things didn't go as planned, but other plans are afoot. While it's not impossible, we'd be shocked if GM had fulfilled The Fed's requirements by the deadline and chose to remain quiet about it.

After all, success for GMAC means success for GM. But bankruptcy for GMAC - which could happen without access to TARP funds - could mean something very close to doom for a lot of dealers and for GM. Our guess is that GMAC and The Fed are trying to figure out the best way forward, because it is certain that the government doesn't want to see its $17.4 billion dollar investment go bust because GM lost on a side bet less than a month later.

[Source: New York Times]

GMAC – and ergo General Motors – just got another Christmas present: the Federal Reserve has granted GMAC bank holding status. GMAC has billions of dollars of bonds coming due over the next 12 months, but doesn't have the liquidity to cover the obligations. As of last week, the financing company was in the midst of a bond buyback effort in order to raise enough money to qualify for bank holding status. Now that it's been granted, GMAC can tap the Troubled Asset Relief Fund intended for financial institutions, pay its debts and (probably) avoid bankruptcy.

It isn't clear, however, whether or not GMAC actually raised enough money through the bond buyback. The Fed said "emergency conditions" justified its actions, which makes us think the Fed just said "Here, take it." Looked at from a dealer perspective, it makes sense: if GMAC had gone under, one dealer estimated that it would have taken 30-40% of GM dealers down with it, and that could imperil GM itself. It wouldn't make much sense to let that happen when the government just loaned GM a bunch of money to stay in business.

And while GM is still a long, long way from getting the kind of money that any number of banks have, it's still beginning to add up. As a result of the new status, both GM and Cerberus are required to lower their stakes in GMAC. Cerberus has been told to lower its share to 33%, down from 51%; GM has said it will go below 10%. As for Cerberus' other headache, Chrysler Financial, it has said that if dealers don't stop making a run on its funds, it will cease financing for dealer inventories.

[Source: Yahoo!]