Odds of a Bid Rise as E*Trade Digs Itself Out of Mortgage Mess

<!– (S) –> (Bloomberg) — E*Trade Financial Corp.’s mortgage loan albatross is loosening to the point in that acquirers may start to get comfortable with the idea of a takeover. <!– –>The online brokerage has-been scaling down its home-loan portfolio since the subprime mortgage loan market started to deteriorate as the financial crisis unfolded in 2007. Back then, E*Trade customers owed more than $27 billion. The current balance — $6 … Read the rest