Captive Finance Company
Definition of 'Captive Finance Company'A subsidiary whose purpose is to provide financing to customers buying the parent company's product. Captive finance companies can range in size from mid-sized entities to giant firms, depending on the size of the parent company. Their range of services can also vary widely, from basic card services to full-scale banking. A captive finance company can be a source of significant profits for the parent organization. |
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Investopedia explains 'Captive Finance Company'A captive finance company is usually wholly owned by the parent organization. The best-known examples of such companies are the giant subsidiaries of the "Big Three" automakers, and the store card operations of large retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target and Sears.Due to the size and scale of their operations, the captive finance companies of the Big Three car manufacturers: General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC), Chrysler Financial and Ford Motor Credit Company – are arguably almost as well-known as their parent companies. Note that subsequent to the bankruptcy of General Motors in 2009, GMAC underwent a name change to Ally Bank and rebranded as Ally Financial in 2010. |
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