Then, if the dealer leases a car the auto maker's finance arm can profit from the lease payments.

The report did not find that Honda's finance arm had itself discriminated in setting loan rates.

Boeing's finance arm, however, does essentially the same thing.

While its finance arm is advancing strongly, Ford's plans in the mobile phone market are even more ambitious - it intends to clean up.

The Lite-On group also consists of some non-electronic companies like a finance arm and a cultural company.

The finance arms of auto companies cut car loan rates by two or three percentage points, to encourage sales.

More than half of those vehicles - 107,200 - were sold right back to Ford's finance arm, and leased.

Its finance arm's leasing division has the largest fleet in the air - owning, or managing for others, one of every 12 commercial planes worldwide.

Whirlpool had announced in July that it was considering its options for its finance arm.

Chrysler made an average of $1,000 on vehicles it sold worldwide in the quarter, not including earnings from its finance arm.