UPDATE 4-IndyMac depositors pull cash as mortgage woes grow

(Adds White House; capital ratios)

By Jonathan Stempel and Jennifer Martinez

NEW YORK/PASADENA, Calif., July 8 (Reuters) - Mortgage lender IndyMac Bancorp Inc IMB.N said on Tuesday depositors had been withdrawing cash at an "elevated" pace since a key U.S. senator questioned its ability to survive the housing crisis.

IndyMac shares sank 38 percent to 44 cents. A collapse of the largest independent, publicly traded U.S. mortgage lender could prove a headache for U.S. regulators since more than $17 billion of its deposits carry federal insurance.

Paul Miller, a Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co analyst, said shareholders may be wiped out, citing IndyMac's decision to stop most mortgage lending and inability to raise capital. Miller cut his price target for the stock to zero from $1.00.

"It's hard to gauge how this situation will resolve itself," said Christopher Wolfe, managing director at Fitch Ratings. "We see a high likelihood of some kind of regulatory intervention occurring, which could result in asset dispositions, or the thrift going into receivership."

When asked if the White House was involved in interagency discussions or considering any action, a spokesman responded: "This is an issue for the Fed."

Prospect Mortgage, a Northbrook, Illinois-based affiliate of private equity fund Sterling Partners, said late on Tuesday it agreed to buy more than 60 IndyMac retail mortgage branches, which employ 750 people, for an undisclosed price.

In a regulatory filing, IndyMac said it still faces "elevated levels of deposit withdrawals." It pointed to comments in late June from Sen. Charles Schumer, who chairs Congress's Joint Economic Committee, raising questions about a possible collapse. Schumer reiterated his concerns on Tuesday.

IndyMac said it was working with regulators on a new business plan after losing $896 million in the nine months to March 31. "We are aware of the situation and are working closely with the institution," said a spokesman for the Office of Thrift Supervision, IndyMac's main federal regulator.

Big mortgage rivals New Century Financial Corp NEWCQ.PK and American Home Mortgage Investment Corp (AHMIQ.PK) filed for bankruptcy protection last year. Countrywide Financial Corp, the top U.S. mortgage lender, avoided possible collapse when it was acquired last week by Bank of America Corp (BAC.N).

"In short, IndyMac was a junior version of Countrywide," Schumer said in a statement on Tuesday.

"IndyMac fueled its growth through unsound lending practices," the New York Democrat continued. "Regulators should consider ways to implement stricter oversight over the lending system so that there isn't another IndyMac."

IndyMac reported $17.3 billion of its deposits were insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The FDIC has $52.8 billion in its insurance fund to cover bank failures.

FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair told the Senate Banking Committee last month that the housing downturn could cause "institutions of greater size than we have seen in the recent past to fail."

SEEKING SECURITY