CountrywideFinancial

Investment research firm Morningstar is steadfast in its view that the chairman who oversees a CEO shouldn't also be the CEO: Separation of the roles is a key point on its corporate governance checklist ... except when it comes to its own founder, Joe Mansueto.

When Warren Buffett announced in August that he would spend $5 billion to snap up Bank of America shares, investors cheered. Surely this must mean that we've seen the end of the bad news from America's biggest bank, right? Wrong. So did the Oracle of Omaha blunder?

Bank of America did the right thing this week, nixing its notorious $5 a month debit card fee before it began. But B of A can't win, and even now, financial journalists are wondering how it will find ways to nickel and dime its way back from this week's fee retreat at the expense of its customers.

This week brought a bit of good news for some troubled homeowners in the form of two separate settlement activities. The FTC has begun mailing refund checks to 450,000 Countrywide customers, and Wells Fargo reached an $85 million settlement with the Fed that will provide relief to up to 10,000 customers.

Bank of America will soon finalize an $8.5 billion agreement to settle investor claims that Countrywide sold them lousy mortgage-backed securities before the housing bust. Meanwhile, private regulator FINRA is angling to take over the watchdog role for registered investment advisers.

It's official: Disgraced lender Countrywide Financial has now been "re-branded" as Bank of America Home Loans. Jane Wells reports on the move and all the window dressing that Bank of America is doing to try to convince people that Bank of America Home Loans is a good company, focused on providing...

Carol and Gregory Clark of Washington have filed a lawsuit against Countrywide Financial accusing the company of rigging the appraisal process "in a scheme to boost profits at the expense of homeowners and independent appraisers." soKe.flace('walletpop-countrywide', '618', '600');...

Foreclosures seem to be on the rise, but mortgage companies don't always get a slam dunk when it comes to taking your home from you. In order to foreclose, they've got to have their paperwork in order, something that's not always a given. With mortgages being sold over and over, sometimes companies...