According to a report by Bloomberg, Chrysler Financial Co. could soon begin offering loans to consumers and dealers again after losing its status as the primary lender to Chrysler dealers last year at the height of the crisis in the automotive industry.

The company would begin with loans to buyers with near-prime credit according to an unidentified source "familiar with the company's plan." The same individual indicated that Chrysler Financial is attempting to raise capital and is contemplating a name change.

Benefiting from an uptick in used-car prices, which reached record highs in May 2010, Chrysler Financial now has collateral with more value and may thus be able to raise more money and accelerate and extend the rate of its lending.

Maryann Keller, president of Maryann Keller Associates in Stamford, Connecticut was quoted in the Bloomberg report. "There's always a place for another lender. Chrysler Financial has to come up with a business plan that identifies who its dealer partners are and how the company will raise capital."

When Chrysler went into bankruptcy in 2009, Chrysler Financial was replaced by GMAC as the primary lender for Chrysler dealers and was regarded as no longer a viable lending agency for big scale loans to dealers seeking to finance inventory.

Since that time, Chrysler Financial has mostly collected payments on outstanding loans. The company has a loan portfolio of $26 million and has issued less than $100 million in new loans this year.