Ally Financial Inc. (ALLY)

Item 2.    Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Cautionary Notice about Forward-Looking Statements and Other Terms

From time to time we have made, and in the future will make, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements often use words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “pursue,” “seek,” “continue,” “estimate,” “project,” “outlook,” “forecast,” “potential,” “target,” “objective,” “trend,” “plan,” “goal,” “initiative,” “priorities,” or other words of comparable meaning or future-tense or conditional verbs such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” or “could.” Forward-looking statements convey our expectations, intentions, or forecasts about future events, circumstances, or results.

This report, including any information incorporated by reference in this report, contains forward-looking statements. We also may make forward-looking statements in other documents that are filed or furnished with the SEC. In addition, we may make forward-looking statements orally or in writing to investors, analysts, members of the media, or others.

All forward-looking statements, by their nature, are subject to assumptions, risks, uncertainties, and other important factors which may change over time and many of which are beyond our control. You should not rely on any forward-looking statement as a prediction or guarantee about the future. Actual future objectives, strategies, plans, prospects, performance, conditions, or results may differ materially from those set forth in any forward-looking statement. While no list of assumptions, risks, or uncertainties could be complete, some of the factors that may cause actual results or other future events or circumstances to differ from those in forward-looking statements include:

•evolving local, regional, national, or international business, economic, or geopolitical conditions;

•changes in laws or the regulatory or supervisory environment, including as a result of financial-services legislation, regulation, or policies or changes in government officials or other personnel;

•changes in monetary, fiscal, or trade laws or policies, including as a result of actions by governmental agencies, central banks, or supranational authorities;

•changes in accounting standards or policies;

•changes in the automotive industry or the markets for new or used vehicles, including the rise of vehicle sharing and ride hailing, the development of autonomous and alternative-energy vehicles, and the impact of demographic shifts on attitudes and behaviors toward vehicle type, ownership, and use;

•any instability or breakdown in the financial system, including as a result of the failure of a financial institution or other participants in it (such as the banking failures during 2023);

•disruptions or shifts in investor sentiment or behavior in the securities, capital, commodity, or other financial markets, including financial or systemic shocks and volatility or changes in market price, liquidity, interest or currency rates, or valuations;

•changes in business or consumer sentiment, preferences, purchasing power, creditworthiness, or behavior, including spending, borrowing, or saving by businesses or households;

•changes in our corporate or business strategies, the composition of our assets, or the way in which we fund those assets;

•our ability to execute our business strategy for Ally Bank, including its digital focus;

•our ability to grow and optimize our automotive finance and insurance businesses and to continue diversifying into and growing other consumer and commercial business lines, including corporate finance, brokerage, and personal advice;

•our ability to develop capital plans acceptable to the FRB and our ability to implement them, including any payment of dividends or share repurchases;

•our ability to conduct appropriate stress tests and effectively plan for and manage capital or liquidity consistent with evolving business or operational needs, risk-management standards, and regulatory or supervisory requirements or expectations;

•our ability to cost-effectively fund our business and operations, including through deposits (which could be subject to sudden withdrawals) and the capital markets;

•changes in any credit rating assigned to Ally, including Ally Bank, or the ratings for our insurance business;

•adverse publicity or other reputational harm to us, our service providers, or our senior officers;

•our ability to develop, maintain, or market our products or services or to absorb unanticipated costs or liabilities associated with those products or services;

71

Table of Contents

Management’s Discussion and Analysis

Ally Financial Inc. • Form 10-Q

•our ability to innovate, to anticipate the needs of current or future customers, to successfully compete, to increase or hold market share in changing competitive environments, or to respond to pricing or other competitive pressures;

•the continuing profitability and viability of our dealer-centric automotive finance and insurance businesses, especially in the face of competition from captive finance companies and their automotive manufacturing sponsors and challenges to the dealer’s role as intermediary between manufacturers and purchasers;

•our ability to appropriately underwrite loans that we originate or purchase and to otherwise manage credit risk;

•changes in the credit, liquidity, or other financial condition of our customers, counterparties, service providers, or competitors;

•our ability to effectively respond to economic, business, or market slowdowns or disruptions;

•our ability to address heightened scrutiny or changing expectations from supervisory or other governmental authorities and to timely and credibly remediate related concerns or deficiencies;

•judicial, regulatory, or administrative inquiries, examinations, investigations, proceedings, disputes, or rulings that create uncertainty for, or are adverse to, us or the financial services industry;

•the potential outcomes of judicial, regulatory, or administrative inquiries, examinations, investigations, proceedings, or disputes to which we are or may be subject, and our ability to absorb and address any damages or other remedies that are sought or awarded, and any collateral consequences;

•the performance and availability of third-party service providers on whom we rely in delivering products and services to our customers and otherwise conducting our business and operations;

•our ability to manage and mitigate security risks, including our capacity to withstand cyberattacks;

•our ability to maintain secure and functional financial, accounting, technology, data processing, or other operating systems or infrastructure;

•the adequacy of our corporate governance, risk-management framework, compliance programs, or internal controls over financial reporting, including our ability to control lapses or deficiencies in financial reporting or to effectively mitigate or manage operational risk;

•the efficacy of our methods or models in assessing business strategies or opportunities or in valuing, measuring, estimating, monitoring, or managing positions or risk;

•our ability to keep pace with changes in technology, such as AI, that affect us or our customers, counterparties, service providers, or competitors or to maintain rights or interests in associated intellectual property;

•our ability to successfully make acquisitions or divestitures or to integrate acquired businesses;

•the adequacy of our succession planning for key executives or other personnel and our ability to attract or retain qualified employees;

•natural or man-made disasters, calamities, or conflicts, including terrorist events, cyber-warfare, and pandemics;

•our ability to meet stakeholder expectations on sustainability-related issues;

•policies and other actions of governments to manage and mitigate climate and other sustainability issues, and the effects of climate change or the transition to a lower-carbon economy on our business, operations, and reputation; or

•other assumptions, risks, or uncertainties described in the Risk Factors (Part II, Item 1A herein), Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (Part I, Item 2 herein), or the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Part I, Item 1 herein) in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or described in any of the Company’s annual, quarterly or current reports.

Any forward-looking statement made by us or on our behalf speaks only as of the date that it was made. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement to reflect the impact of events, circumstances, or results that arise after the date that the statement was made, except as required by applicable securities laws. You, however, should consult further disclosures (including disclosures of a forward-looking nature) that we may make in any subsequent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, or Current Report on Form 8-K.

Unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions apply. The term “loans” means the following consumer and commercial products associated with our direct and indirect financing activities: loans, retail installment sales contracts, lines of credit, and other financing products excluding operating leases. The term “operating leases” means consumer- and commercial-vehicle lease agreements where Ally is the lessor and the lessee is generally not obligated to acquire ownership of the vehicle at lease-end or compensate Ally for the vehicle’s residual value. The terms “lend,” “finance,” and “originate” mean our direct extension or origination of loans, our purchase or

72

Table of Contents

Management’s Discussion and Analysis

Ally Financial Inc. • Form 10-Q

acquisition of loans, or our purchase of operating leases, as applicable. The term “consumer” means all consumer products associated with our loan and operating-lease activities and all commercial retail installment sales contracts. The term “commercial” means all commercial products associated with our loan activities, other than commercial retail installment sales contracts. The term “partnerships” means business arrangements rather than partnerships as defined by law.

73

Table of Contents

Management’s Discussion and Analysis

Ally Financial Inc. • Form 10-Q

Overview

Ally Financial Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries unless the context otherwise requires, Ally, the Company, we, us, or our) is a financial-services company that includes the nation’s largest all-digital bank and automotive finance businesses, driven by a mission to “Do It Right” for its customers and communities. Ally Bank, Member FDIC, offers online banking products, including savings and checking accounts. Ally also provides investing solutions through Ally Invest, including online brokerage, automated investing, IRAs and personal financial advice. Ally provides consumer and dealer financing, insurance, and vehicle remarketing services. Ally’s corporate finance business provides capital to equity sponsors and middle-market companies. Ally is a Delaware corporation and is registered as a BHC under the BHC Act and an FHC under the GLB Act.

Primary Business Lines

Dealer Financial Services, which includes our Automotive Finance and Insurance operations, and Corporate Finance are our primary business lines. The remaining activity is reported in Corporate and Other, which primarily consists of centralized treasury activities (including deposit operations) as well as Ally Invest, our digital brokerage and personal advice offering, Ally Credit Card, the management of our consumer mortgage portfolio, CRA loans and investments, and cert

[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]

Item 7.    Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Cautionary Notice about Forward-Looking Statements and Other Terms

From time to time we have made, and in the future will make, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements often use words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “pursue,” “seek,” “continue,” “estimate,” “project,” “outlook,” “forecast,” “potential,” “target,” “objective,” “trend,” “plan,” “goal,” “initiative,” “priorities,” or other words of comparable meaning or future-tense or conditional verbs such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” or “could.” Forward-looking statements convey our expectations, intentions, or forecasts about future events, circumstances, or results.

This report, including any information incorporated by reference in this report, contains forward-looking statements. We also may make forward-looking statements in other documents that are filed or furnished with the SEC. In addition, we may make forward-looking statements orally or in writing to investors, analysts, members of the media, or others.

All forward-looking statements, by their nature, are subject to assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, which may change over time and many of which are beyond our control. You should not rely on any forward-looking statement as a prediction or guarantee about the future. Actual future objectives, strategies, plans, prospects, performance, conditions, or results may differ materially from those set forth in any forward-looking statement. While no list of assumptions, risks, or uncertainties could be complete, some of the factors that may cause actual results or other future events or circumstances to differ from those in forward-looking statements include:

•evolving local, regional, national, or international business, economic, or political conditions;

•changes in laws or the regulatory or supervisory environment, including as a result of financial-services legislation, regulation, or policies or changes in government officials or other personnel;

•changes in monetary, fiscal, or trade laws or policies, including as a result of actions by governmental agencies, central banks, or supranational authorities;

•changes in accounting standards or policies;

•changes in the automotive industry or the markets for new or used vehicles, including the rise of vehicle sharing and ride hailing, the development of autonomous and alternative-energy vehicles, and the impact of demographic shifts on attitudes and behaviors toward vehicle type, ownership, and use;

•any instability or breakdown in the financial system, including as a result of the failure of a financial institution or other participants in it (such as the banking failures during 2023);

•disruptions or shifts in investor sentiment or behavior in the securities, capital, or other financial markets, including financial or systemic shocks and volatility or changes in market liquidity, interest or currency rates, or valuations;

•changes in business or consumer sentiment, preferences, or behavior, including spending, borrowing, or saving by businesses or households;

•changes in our corporate or business strategies, the composition of our assets, or the way in which we fund those assets;

•our ability to execute our business strategy for Ally Bank, including its digital focus;

•our ability to grow and optimize our automotive finance and insurance businesses and to continue diversifying into and growing other consumer and commercial business lines, including corporate finance, brokerage, and personal advice;

•our ability to develop capital plans acceptable to the FRB and our ability to implement them, including any payment of dividends or share repurchases;

•our ability to conduct appropriate stress tests and effectively plan for and manage capital or liquidity consistent with evolving business or operational needs, risk-management standards, and regulatory or supervisory requirements or expectations;

•our ability to cost-effectively fund our business and operations, including through deposits (which could be subject to sudden withdrawals) and the capital markets;

•changes in any credit rating assigned to Ally, including Ally Bank, or the ratings for our insurance business;

•adverse publicity or other reputational harm to us, our service providers, or our senior officers;

•our ability to develop, maintain, or market our products or services or to absorb unanticipated costs or liabilities associated with those products or services;

38

Table of Contents

Management’s Discussion and Analysis

Ally Financial Inc. • Form 10-K

•our ability to innovate, to anticipate the needs of current or future customers, to successfully compete, to increase or hold market share in changing competitive environments, or to respond to pricing or other competitive pressures;

•the continuing profitability and viability of our dealer-centric automotive finance and insurance businesses, especially in the face of competition from captive finance companies and their automotive manufacturing sponsors and challenges to the dealer’s role as intermediary between manufacturers and purchasers;

•our ability to appropriately underwrite loans that we originate or purchase and to otherwise manage credit risk;

•changes in the credit, liquidity, or other financial condition of our customers, counterparties, service providers, or competitors;

•our ability to effectively respond to economic, business, or market slowdowns or disruptions;

•our ability to address heightened scrutiny and expectations from supervisory or other governmental authorities and to timely and credibly remediate related concerns or deficiencies;

•judicial, regulatory, or administrative inquiries, examinations, investigations, proceedings, disputes, or rulings that create uncertainty for, or are adverse to, us or the financial services industry;

•the potential outcomes of judicial, regulatory, or administrative inquiries, examinations, investigations, proceedings, or disputes to which we are or may be subject, and our ability to absorb and address any damages or other remedies that are sought or awarded, and any collateral consequences;

•the performance and availability of third-party service providers on whom we rely in delivering products and services to our customers and otherwise conducting our business and operations;

•our ability to manage and mitigate security risks, including our capacity to withstand cyberattacks;

•our ability to maintain secure and functional financial, accounting, technology, data processing, or other operating systems or infrastructure;

•the adequacy of our corporate governance, risk-management framework, compliance programs, or internal controls over financial reporting, including our ability to control lapses or deficiencies in financial reporting or to effectively mitigate or manage operational risk;

•the efficacy of our methods or models in assessing business strategies or opportunities or in valuing, measuring, estimating, monitoring, or managing positions or risk;

•our ability to keep pace with changes in technology, such as AI, that affect us or our customers, counterparties, service providers, or competitors or to maintain rights or interests in associated intellectual property;

•our ability to successfully make acquisitions or divestitures or to integrate acquired businesses;

•the adequacy of our succession planning for key executives or other personnel and our ability to attract or retain qualified employees;

•natural or man-made disasters, calamities, or conflicts, including terrorist events, cyber-warfare, and pandemics;

•our ability to meet stakeholder expectations on sustainability-related issues;

•policies and other actions of governments to manage and mitigate climate and other sustainability issues, and the effects of climate change or the transition to a lower-carbon economy on our business, operations, and reputation; or

•other assumptions, risks, or uncertainties described in the Risk Factors (Item 1A), Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (Item 7), or the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements (Item 8) in this Annual Report on Form 10-K or described in any of the Company’s annual, quarterly or current reports.

Any forward-looking statement made by us or on our behalf speaks only as of the date that it was made. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement to reflect the impact of events, circumstances, or results that arise after the date that the statement was made, except as required by applicable securities laws. You, however, should consult further disclosures (including disclosures of a forward-looking nature) that we may make in any subsequent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, or Current Report on Form 8-K.

Unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions apply. The term “loans” means the following consumer and commercial products associated with our direct and indirect financing activities: loans, retail installment sales contracts, lines of credit, and other financing products excluding operating leases. The term “operating leases” means consumer- and commercial-vehicle lease agreements where Ally is the lessor and the lessee is generally not obligated to acquire ownership of the vehicle at lease-end or compensate Ally for the vehicle’s residual value. The terms “lend,” “finance,” and “originate” mean our direct extension or origination of loans, our purchase or acquisition of loans, or our purchase of operating leases, as applicable. The term “consumer” means all consumer products associated with our

39

Table of Contents

Management’s Discussion and Analysis

Ally Financial Inc. • Form 10-K

loan and operating-lease activities and all commercial retail installment sales contracts. The term “commercial” means all commercial products associated with our loan activities, other than commercial retail installment sales contracts. The term “partnerships” means business arrangements rather than partnerships as defined by law.

40

Table of Contents

Management’s Discussion and Analysis

Ally Financial Inc. • Form 10-K

Overview

Ally Financial Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries unless the context otherwise requires, Ally, the Company, we, us, or our) is a financial-services company with the nation’s largest all-digital bank and an industry-leading automotive financing and insurance business, driven by a mission to “Do It Right” and be a relentless ally for all stakeholders. The Company serves customers with deposits and securities brokerage and investment advisory services as well as automotive financing and insurance offerings. The Company also includes a seasoned corporate finance business that offers capital for equity sponsors and middle-market companies. Ally is a Delaware corporation and is registered as a BHC under the BHC Act, and an FHC under the GLB Act.

Our Business

Dealer Financial Services

Dealer Financial Services is composed of our Automotive Finance and Insurance segments. Our primary customers are automotive dealers, which include OEM-franchised dealers, non-OEM-franchised dealers with a national presence, and automotive retailers, such as Carvana, CarMax, and EchoPark. A dealer may sell or lease a vehicle for cash but, more typically, enters into a retail installment sales contract or operating lease with the customer and then sells the retail installment sales contract or the operating lease and the leased vehicle, as applicable, to Ally or another automotive finance provider. The purchase by Ally or another provider is commonly described as indirect automotive lending to the cu

[Excerpt truncated for page length; the complete text is on the linked full-MD&A page.]