Auto lending

Loans for recreational vehicles may yield higher returns than traditional auto loans, but the opportunity could fade if the economy heads into a recession.

Executives from Ally Financial and Santander Consumer USA gave rosy outlooks about 2019 consumer trends, while other banks that rely less heavily on car lending offered more cautious appraisals.

Although the credit union industry managed to add more loans and members, lending is expected to grow at just 8 percent this year, according to a recent report.

More than half of the new depositors the online bank added in the fourth quarter are millennials.

Auto lending in particular was a strong area for institutions in both states.

The director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has asked Congress to clarify its ability to conduct exams that ensure compliance with the Military Lending Act.

Demand for commercial loans surged in the fourth quarter and executives at the Buffalo company see the momentum continuing in the new year.

Consumer lending should also be a bright spot, while mortgage lending could be suppressed by rising rates and tight housing supplies.

More consumers fell behind on their loans in the third quarter of 2018, even as average wages rose and the unemployment rate fell to a 50-year low.

Automating the loan application process is a potentially game-changing development that could put more car shoppers in control of which bank or credit union finances their purchase.