1.   American General also said that it was avoiding the flood of individual bankruptcies and delayed payments hurting profits for many consumer lenders in recent months.

2.   Aames Financial Corp., a Los Angeles-based mortgage lender, is one consumer lender that is said to be seeking to buy another company.

3.   Consumer lenders not involved in auto lending also declined.

4.   Consumer lenders also are cautious about their future -- and the prospects of banks that hope to make money by competing with them.

5.   More consumer spending often translates into more business for consumer lenders.

6.   Shares of companies whose fortunes are most closely tied to interest rates -- electric utilities, brokerage companies, banks, insurers and consumer lenders -- fell.

7.   Stocks of credit-card issuers and consumer lenders climbed on expectations fewer consumers will default on their debt if rates are declining.

8.   The agreement renews an alliance between the consumer lender and the leading U.S. tax preparation firm with some new twists.

9.   The American Financial Services Association, which represents the biggest consumer lenders in the country, has already entered the cases in support of the defendants.

10.   The Dallas-based consumer lender said its earnings will disappoint because the revenue it records from selling asset-backed bonds will decline.