Banc of California in Irvine has agreed to sell its wholly owned investment adviser subsidiary, The Palisades Group.

The deal to buy TradeKing would allow the online-only bank to offer wealth-building products to its roughly 1.1 million depositors. The additional low-cost deposits could also help fund loan growth as it looks to expand beyond auto lending and into mortgages and credit cards.

Wealth management units have been a surefire source of fees for banks over the last few years, as low rates dragged down spread income. But a policy change will likely be a crucial test to the business model.

The pandemic has upended staffing plans, sparked concerns about servicers’ capacity to handle the expected crush of missed payments, and even raised questions about their ability to stay afloat.

A national moratorium would be costly to lenders and servicers, but proponents say it's needed to help cushion the economic blow of the pandemic.

No-interest loans and overdraft forgiveness are among the lifelines banks are offering to consumers and small businesses whose livelihoods are being upended by the economic fallout.

Generative artificial intelligence could make it possible for borrowers to understand how their behavior reflects their creditworthiness, and create better outcomes for everyone.

Critics of the Federal Home Loan banks fundamentally misunderstand the purpose and necessity of the system.

In 18 states, consumers are not allowed to use trained debt resolution professionals to seek relief from their creditors. That needs to change.