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DCR Rates Triad Auto Receivables Owner Trust 1998-3

18 September 1998

DCR Rates Triad Auto Receivables Owner Trust 1998-3

    NEW YORK, Sept. 17 -- Duff & Phelps Credit Rating Co. (DCR)
has assigned a 'AAA' (Triple-A) rating to the 5.84 percent $45,604,115 Class
A-1 asset-backed notes, a 'A' (Single-A) rating to the 6.24 percent
$24,402,202 Class A-2 asset-backed notes, and a 'BBB' (Triple-B) rating to the
8.18 percent $10,000,902 Class B asset-backed notes issued by Triad Auto
Receivables Owner Trust 1998-3.
    The ratings are based on Triad Financial Corporation's (Triad) historical
performance, Chase Manhattan Bank as backup servicer, ContiFinancial
Corporation's 100 percent ownership of Triad, and credit enhancement in the
form of subordination, a reserve fund and overcollateralization.
    Triad, located in Huntington Beach, Calif., originates loans to consumers
in the nonprime credit sector of the retail automobile market and services all
of the loans from the company's Huntington Beach headquarters.  The
transaction is Triad's sixth securitization and the sixth rated by DCR.
     The placement agent for the transaction was ContiFinancial Services
Corporation.