It seemed like the very worst time to start a bank. At the end of 2008, the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression had befallen the United States, and most of the rest of the world as well. In addition to the hundreds of bank failures that stemmed from the economic downturn, two of the Big Three U.S. automakers, Chrysler and General Motors, had to be rescued by the federal government.
As a result of that action, General Motor’s financial arm General Motors....