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 North Carolina company will hold onto the loans after the Fed's decision to slash interest rates.

While clients are uneasy about the spread of coronavirus, Kelly King touted the added volume his company has seen from lower rates.

The company disclosed that an internal review of a now-discontinued loan program found that employees engaged in misconduct tied to income verification and requirements, among other things.

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

The Federal Reserve's much-awaited Basel III proposal would raise capital significantly for the largest banks, a move that neither the international agreement nor the moment requires. Somehow that square is going to get circled.

The decision to allow lenders to review only two credit reports for mortgage applicants will harm homebuyers with less than perfect credit.