Sec. 6. (a) Every company may exercise all the powers conferred upon domestic corporations by IC 23-1 but only to the extent that those powers may be necessary, convenient, or expedient to accomplish the purposes for which it is organized. Subject to the restrictions and limitations contained in this chapter, every company may exercise the following powers:

(1) To issue, negotiate, and sell its secured or unsecured certificates of investment or indebtedness, subject to subdivision (16), upon terms and conditions, in any form, and payable at times that are not inconsistent with this chapter and, subject to subsection (c), bearing a rate of interest approved by the department.

(2) To make, purchase, discount, or otherwise acquire extensions of credit under IC 24-4.5.

(3) To lend money without security or upon the security of comakers, personal endorsement, or the mortgage of real or personal property or the mortgage or pledge of bailment leases or rentals due and to become due thereunder and other choses in action, and to contract for interest, discount, fees, charges, or other consideration fixed or permitted by any laws of Indiana concerning interest, discount, or usury.

(4) To discount, purchase, or otherwise acquire notes, bills of exchange, acceptances, bailment leases, and the property covered thereby or the rentals due or to become due thereunder or other choses in action and, subject to such restrictions the department imposes, to become owner or lessor of personal or real property acquired upon the request and for the use of a customer, and to incur additional obligations incident to becoming an owner or lessor of the property. The liability of a lessee under the lease does not constitute an obligation (as defined in section 8 of this chapter).

(5) To purchase or construct buildings and hold legal title to them, to be leased for public purposes to municipal corporations or other public authorities having resources sufficient to make payment of all rentals as they become due. Each lease agreement shall provide that upon expiration, the lessee shall become owner of the building.

(6) To invest in bonds, notes, or certificates which are:

(A) the direct or indirect obligations of the United States or of the state;

(B) obligations of mutual funds or financial institutions if the obligations represent a participation in a fund invested in, or are secured by, direct or indirect obligations of the United States owned by the mutual fund or financial institution;

(C) the direct obligations of a civil or school county, township, city, town, other taxing district, or municipality of Indiana;

(D) a special taxing district in Indiana;

(E) issued by or in the name of:

(i) the trustees of Indiana University;

(ii) the trustees of Purdue University;

(iii) the trustees of Ball State University;

(iv) the trustees of Indiana State University; or

(v) the Indiana finance authority;

(F) issued by or in the name of any municipality of Indiana and payable from the revenues to be derived from the operation of facilities for the production or distribution of water, electricity, gas, or from the operation of sewage works; or

(G) the obligations of any Indiana toll road commission, public library, or schoolhouse holding corporation first mortgage bonds;

which district, municipality, taxing unit, or corporation is not then in default in the payment of either principal or interest on any of its funded obligations and has not so defaulted for a period of more than six (6) months within the five (5) year period immediately preceding the purchase of the securities.

(7) To invest in bonds, notes, or debentures rated in one (1) of the first four (4) classifications established by one (1) or more standard rating services specified by the department that satisfy requirements of marketability prescribed periodically by the department that are the obligations of a person, a firm, a limited liability company, a corporation, a state, a territory, an insular possession of the United States, or a county, township, town, city, taxing district, or municipality thereof which is not then in default in the payment of either principal or interest on any of its funded obligations and has not so defaulted within the five (5) year period immediately preceding the purchase of the securities and other investment securities prescribed by the department by rule. As used in this section, the term “investment securities” means marketable obligations evidencing indebtedness of a person, firm, limited liability company, or corporation in the form of bonds, notes, or debentures commonly known as “investment securities” and the definition of the term “investment securities” prescribed by the department by rule. Except as is otherwise provided in this chapter or otherwise permitted by law, nothing contained in this subdivision authorizes the purchase by an industrial loan and investment company of shares of stock or other securities, unless the purchase is necessary to prevent loss under a debt previously contracted in good faith and stocks or other securities so purchased or acquired shall, within six (6) months from the time of its purchase, be sold or disposed of at public or private sale, unless otherwise ordered by the department.

(8) To invest in bonds or debentures issued under and by the authority of the Federal Home Loan Bank Act (12 U.S.C. § 1421 through 1429), or of the Home Owners’ Loan Act (12 U.S.C. § 1461 through 1468), or obligations issued by or for farm credit banks, and banks for cooperatives under the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12 U.S.C. § 2001 through 2279aa-14).

(9) To invest in insured shares of an insured savings association organized under the laws of Indiana, and in insured shares of an insured federal savings association whose principal place of business is located in Indiana; and in certificates of indebtedness or investment of an industrial loan and investment company organized under the laws of Indiana. However, not more than twenty percent (20%) of the resources of the company may be invested in the insured shares of any such association nor more than ten percent (10%) of the company’s capital and surplus in such certificates of industrial loan and investment companies.

(10) To make loans and advances of credit and purchases of obligations representing loans and advances of credit as are eligible for insurance by the federal housing administrator, and to obtain insurance from the administrator.

(11) To make loans secured by mortgage on real property or leasehold if:

(A) the mortgage is insured by the federal housing administrator; or

(B) the company makes a commitment to insure and to obtain insurance from the administrator, if the mortgage is not insured by the federal housing administrator.

(12) To purchase, invest in, and dispose of notes or bonds secured by mortgage or trust deed insured by the federal housing administrator or debentures issued by the federal housing administrator, or bonds or other securities insured by national mortgage associations.

(13) To discount, purchase, or otherwise acquire charge accounts, and drafts and bills of exchange evidencing charge accounts and to impose and collect monthly service charges and maintenance charges on charge accounts, drafts, or bills of exchange which are owned or acquired in amounts agreed upon between the company and the obligor, or obligors, on charge accounts, drafts, and bills of exchange.

(14) To purchase or otherwise acquire property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, in which the company has a security interest to secure a debt owing to the company contracted in good faith or the purchase or acquisition of which property is considered expedient to prevent loss from a debt owing to the company contracted in good faith, and for such purpose to engage in any lawful business considered necessary or expedient by the company to preserve, protect, or make saleable the property. Property thus purchased or acquired shall be sold and disposed of within two (2) years, or a longer period permitted by the department, after the purchase or acquisition.

(15) To act as trustee of a trust created in the United States and forming part of a stock bonus, pension, or profit sharing plan that is qualified for tax treatment under Section 401(d) of the Internal Revenue Code, and to act as trustee or custodian of an individual retirement account within the meaning of Section 408 of the Internal Revenue Code, if the funds of that trust or account are only invested in certificates of investment or indebtedness of the company or in obligations or securities issued by that company. All funds held under this subdivision in a fiduciary capacity may be commingled by the company for appropriate investment purposes. However, individual records shall be kept by the fiduciary for each participant and shall show in proper detail all transactions engaged in under the authority of this subdivision.

(16) To do anything necessary and appropriate to obtain or maintain federal deposit insurance under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Act (12 U.S.C. § 1811 through 1833e) or insurance under any other federal or Indiana law providing insurance for certificates of investment or indebtedness issued by a company. A company that obtains and maintains federal deposit insurance is not required to obtain approval from the department concerning the rate of interest payable on, or the form, the terms, or the conditions of the certificates of investment or indebtedness, and the company may exercise all of the powers that are conferred upon institutions maintaining federal deposit insurance that are not in conflict with Indiana law.

(17) To become a member of a federal home loan bank and acquire, own, pledge, sell, assign, or otherwise dispose of shares of the capital stock of a federal home loan bank.

(18) To borrow money and procure advances from a federal home loan bank and to transfer, assign to, and pledge with the federal home loan bank any of the bonds, notes, contracts, mortgages, securities, or other property of the company held or acquired as security for the payment of the loans and advances.

(19) To possess and exercise all rights, powers, and privileges conferred upon and do and perform all acts and things required of members or shareholders of a federal home loan bank, or by the provisions of 12 U.S.C. § 1421 through 1449.

(20) Subject to section 6.3 of this chapter, to exercise the rights and privileges (as defined in section 6.3(a) of this chapter) that are or may be granted to national banks domiciled in Indiana.

     (b) No law of this state prescribing the nature, amount, or form of security or requiring security upon which loans or advances of credit may be made, or prescribing or limiting interest rates upon loans or advances of credit, or prescribing or limiting the period for which loans or advances of credit may be made, applies to loans, advances of credit, or purchases made pursuant to subsection (a)(10), (a)(11), or (a)(12).

     (c) If any national or state chartered bank or savings association is not limited by law with regard to the rate of interest payable on any type or category of checking account, savings account, or deposit, certificate of deposit, membership share, or other account, then industrial loan and investment companies are similarly not limited with regard to the interest payable on certificates of investment or indebtedness.

Formerly: Acts 1935, c.181, s.6; Acts 1937, c.105, s.3; Acts 1955, c.20, s.2; Acts 1969, c.129, s.1; Acts 1971, P.L.399, SEC.2; Acts 1973, P.L.284, SEC.2; Acts 1975, P.L.44, SEC.5. As amended by Acts 1977, P.L.293, SEC.1; Acts 1979, P.L.265, SEC.1; Acts 1982, P.L.169, SEC.1; P.L.269-1983, SEC.1; P.L.141-1984, SEC.10; P.L.2-1987, SEC.42; P.L.20-1990, SEC.11; P.L.8-1991, SEC.28; P.L.42-1993, SEC.71; P.L.262-1995, SEC.64; P.L.194-1997, SEC.3; P.L.79-1998, SEC.70; P.L.215-1999, SEC.6; P.L.235-2005, SEC.204; P.L.2-2007, SEC.355; P.L.162-2007, SEC.39; P.L.213-2007, SEC.57; P.L.217-2007, SEC.55.