SLM Earnings Call Nuggets: Increase in Net Charge-Offs and Stock Repurchases

SLM Corp (NYSE:SLM) recently reported its fourth quarter earnings and discussed the following topics in its earnings conference call.

Increase in Net Charge-offs

Brad Ball – Evercore: For detail on the credit outlook, Al, how much of the increase in net charge-offs in the fourth quarter do you think was attributable to the acceleration related to the forbearance change back in the second quarter, and would you expect right away, early in 2013 an improvement back to those levels that we saw in the sort of mid-3% range net charge-offs in the private student loans?

Albert L. Lord – VC and CEO: I am ultimately the least informed about the contents, but my answers are generally fairly close to right. I hope all the increase in the fourth quarter was attributable the forbearance change. And we will learn that as time passes. I think there’ll be some forbearance change defaults in Q1, but by and large, I think the lion’s share of the run-up in both Q3 and Q4 was caused by the forbearance change. Did I miss some part of the question?

Brad Ball – Evercore: No, that’s helpful. So, your comments on the economy in the economy and the relative weakness that you’re seeing isn’t causing any additional drag on net charge-offs?

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