Bulletin 3224 - December 5, 2025

The Department of Banking News Bulletin

Bulletin # 3224 - Week Ending December 5, 2025

This Bulletin constitutes the only official notification you will receive from this office concerning any of the following applications. Any observations you may have are solicited. Any comments should be directed to Jorge L. Perez, Banking Commissioner. Written comments will be considered only if they are received within ten business days from the date of this bulletin.

DEPOSIT INDEX AND INTEREST RATES

Pursuant to Section 36a-26 of the Connecticut General Statutes, the Commissioner has determined the deposit index for the calendar year 2026 to be 0.49%.

Calendar Year 2026

These rates are for the period commencing January 1, 2026 and ending December 31, 2026.

PLEASE NOTE: The interest rates provided herein are done as a convenience to the public; the Commissioner has no authority to establish interest rates beyond what is provided in statute. Accordingly, parties required to pay interest under these sections must ensure compliance with the applicable statute(s).

CONSUMER CREDIT INVESTMENTS DIVISION ACTIVITY

Castle Credit Co Holdings, LLC d/b/a Castle Credit and Great American Finance Holdings, LLC d/b/a Great American Finance

On December 2, 2025, the Commissioner entered into a Consent Order with Castle Credit Co Holdings, LLC d/b/a Castle Credit (NMLS # 1467645) ("Castle Credit") and Great American Finance Holdings, LLC d/b/a Great American Finance (NMLS # 1682120) ("Great American Finance"), both of Chicago, Illinois, (collectively, "Respondents"). The Consent Order was based on a scheduled examination of Castle Credit by the Consumer Credit Division ("Division"), which raised concerns leading to an investigation into the activities of Great American Finance by the Division. As result of such examination and investigation, the Commissioner alleged that: (1) from January 2019 to February 2025, Great American Finance engaged in the business of a sales finance company in Connecticut without the required license, in violation of Section 36a-536 of the Connecticut General Statutes; (2) from January 2019 to December 1, 2021, Great American Finance engaged in small loan activities in Connecticut without the required license, in violation of Section 36a-556(a) of the Connecticut General Statutes in effect at such time; (3) Castle Credit failed to make its records available to the Commissioner and otherwise cooperate in connection with requests from the Division for additional information and clarification following the issuance of the Report of Examination on October 27, 2022, including repeatedly advising the Division that information would be forthcoming and then failing to provide said information, in violation of Section 36a-17(e) of the Connecticut General Statutes; (4) Great American Finance failed to make its records available to the Commissioner or otherwise cooperate in connection with requests from the Division for additional information and clarification related to a request to surrender its small loan company license submitted on January 4, 2024, in violation of Section 36a 17(e) of the Connecticut General Statutes; and (5) Respondents purported to assign or transfer their respective licenses between the two companies, despite the statutory prohibition on such assignments or transfers within Sections 36a-540(a) and 36a-566(a) of the Connecticut General Statutes in effect at such time. As part of the Consent Order, Respondents paid $20,000 as a civil penalty and Great American Finance paid $3,200 as payment for small loan and sales finance company back licensing fees. Also as part of the Consent Order, Great American Finance reimbursed Connecticut borrowers amounts paid by such Connecticut borrowers in excess of an annual percentage rate of 12% while Great American Finance was not licensed as a small loan lender in Connecticut.

Dated: Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Jorge L. Perez
Banking Commissioner