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LoanDepot claims cash and warehouse lines with Signature Bank are secure

LoanDepot assures investors that its financial ties with the failed Signature Bank are secure after regulators seize the depository Sunday. The lender and servicer transferred $225m of corporate cash balances from the former bank Monday to an unknown large money center bank, it stated in a Securities and Exchange Commission Wednesday filing. The funds were moved following the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s Sunday evening establishment of Signature Bridge Bank N.A., a bridge bank that protected depositors, which will continue bank operations. Signature’s $300 million warehouse facility and $300 million servicing rights facility both expire in December. According to the filing, neither facility has acceleration rights for defaulting lenders. LoanDepot will continue to have full access under the same terms. “We expect to have full accessibility to Signature deposits and do not expect any material adverse impact on our financial condition and operations as a result,” the filing, dated Tuesday, was signed by Patrick Flanagan (chief financial officer). Signature also has fully insured custodial deposit accounts, according to the lender. LoanDepot stated that it does not have any cash deposits, securities, or credit exposure to Silicon Valley Bank. This bank also failed last week. The FDIC supported the establishment of another bridge bank. A representative of Loandepot did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday morning. The lender released its fourth quarter earnings last week. It disclosed cash and cash equivalents totalling $864 million, as well as warehouse and other lines and credit totalling $2.1billion. This is the end of a difficult year for the Foothill Ranch-based lender. LoanDepot will continue to lay off employees as it reduces costs. It is unlikely that the firm will turn profit in 2023, said CEO Frank Martell last week during the quarterly earnings call. As other companies have distanced from the banking chaos, and expressed confidence in their liquidity, the mortgage player is the first to address a direct relationship. This week, publicly traded firms Blend Labs and Merchants Bancorp made such announcements. Rocket Cos is also among them.