JPMorgan Chase on track to pay $9 billion to homeowners as part of settlement

[April 02, 2015]  By Julia Edwards

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co <JPM.N> is on track to meet its mandate to provide billions of dollars in consumer relief to struggling homeowners as part of a settlement it reached over bad residential mortgage-backed securities it sold before the financial crisis, an independent monitor said on Thursday.

Joseph Smith, the monitor overseeing the settlement the largest U.S. bank reached in 2013 with the federal government and five states, credited Chase $2.2 billion out of the $4 billion goal it is required to provide to consumers by 2017.

The bank receives extra credit for certain types of help and less for others, so the total is not a dollar-for-dollar accounting of the assistance provided.

The relief comes in the form of mortgage forgiveness, refinancing and disaster area lending.

Chase, JPMorgan's brand for consumer loans, must also pay $9 billion in cash, totaling a $13 billion settlement.

"We are seeing steady progress from Chase," Smith said, noting the bank may meet its goal before deadline.

Citigroup <C.N> and Bank of America <BAC.N> have also entered settlements for their role in the U.S. mortgage crisis.

(Reporting by Julia Edwards; Editing by Bernard Orr)

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