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Derek Flowers, a 24-year company veteran, will replace the retiring Amanda Norton. Flowers' familiarity with the megabank's operations will help as it continues working through regulatory consent orders, CEO Charlie Scharf said.

Auto loans, credit cards and corporate lending all showed strength in the fourth quarter, and the San Francisco bank predicts more consumers and businesses will borrow this year.

The company sold small businesses a credit-building product that fell short of its promises, and also failed to help them fix inaccuracies in their credit reports, according to the Federal Trade Commission. D&B has agreed to give refunds to many customers.

The standard charge for customers who overdraw their accounts is $30 or more. Analysts say one megabank’s decision to slash the price will pressure competitors to take similar steps.

The nation’s second-largest bank by assets is the latest to roll out changes that will reduce its overdraft revenues. But in cutting its fee from $35, BofA is taking a different tack than many competitors.

The payout will help the Delaware bank recover legal costs that stemmed from its 2010 purchase of Christiana Bank & Trust. It expects a 23-cent boost to earnings per share in the most recently completed quarter.

The consumer agency’s latest data analysis takes issue with how Equifax, Experian and TransUnion have dealt with a deluge of grievances. One analyst called it a “starting point” for stricter regulations and enforcement actions.

Two co-founders of the company are expected to give depositions this month in a suit brought by an entrepreneur who says one of them stole her idea of providing credit to immigrants and turned it into a multimillion-dollar venture. Petal denies the allegations.

The Secured Overnight Financing Rate has benefited — amid the phaseout of Libor — from positive comments by regulators. Is a multirate environment, which some banks would prefer, still possible?

Branches across the country have closed temporarily, or switched to drive-thru service, as infections and quarantine rules have forced many bank workers to stay home.

Analysts expect loan growth and higher interest rates to drive up equity prices next year, even in the face of the omicron variant and other risks.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sued LendUp in September, alleging that the digital payday lender consistently misled customers about the benefits repeatedly using its loan products.

The central bank also signed off on Webster Financial’s acquisition of Sterling Bancorp and WSFS Financial’s purchase of Bryn Mawr Bank Corp. The moves come amid a political fight over the bank merger approval process.

Just three months ago, U.S. banks were still using the expiring benchmark rate for the vast majority of their new loans. But regulators said Friday the transition to alternative rates has accelerated ahead of a year-end cutoff.

LoanMart cannot market or service certain auto title loans for nearly two years under a consent agreement announced Wednesday. The company had partnered with an out-of-state bank in an apparent effort to get around the state’s 36% interest rate ceiling.

A clash among FDIC board members has intensified a debate about whether regulators should take a tougher look at large M&A deals. House Financial Services Chair Maxine Waters added to the frenzy by calling for a moratorium on approving big acquisitions.

Brent Huisman routinely solicited and received handouts from auto auction companies, the Federal Reserve said in an enforcement action that bans him from the banking industry. The gifts included Super Bowl tickets and luxury hotel stays, according to a lawsuit that Huisman eventually paid $275,000 to settle.

With prices increasing faster than they have since the 1990s, the Federal Reserve appears poised to tighten monetary policy. Top industry executives are worried about the chances of either a recession or runaway inflation, depending on whether the central bank moves too quickly or too slowly.

The agreement resolves a lawsuit over consumer loans that had annual percentage rates as high as 198%. Chicago-based OppFi denied allegations that it engaged in unfair lending practices.