Commercial lending

Anthony Labozzetta, CEO of Sussex Bancorp in New Jersey, isn't afraid of change. His unusual approach to banking helped Sussex emerge from the financial crisis with momentum. Now he's building a branch model that could serve as a blueprint for growth-minded banks.

You'd rather have a heart surgeon who has done a lot of bypasses than a novice, right? Perhaps the same thinking should apply to commercial lenders, according to several university researchers challenging the orthodoxy that making too many of the same kind of loans can only spell doom.

NewDominion Bank created a new slogan and marketing campaign to target younger prospects and newcomers to Charlotte, N.C. Only time will tell if the effort will succeed and help the bank survive on its own.

CAN Capital said Tuesday that CEO Daniel DeMeo has been placed on a leave of absence. Parris Sanz, the company's chief legal officer, is now serving as acting CEO.

Opus Bank in Irvine, Calif., has hired a veteran risk manager to structure senior debt for commercial and specialty banking.

Huntington Bancshares in Columbus, Ohio, said it plans to add 1,000 jobs by 2024 at a new office complex in Columbus and lend $300 million to low- and moderate-income communities in the city over the next five years.

Distinct business plans in promising areas such as smart use of consumer data, cybersecurity and content creation, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch commercial banking executive Scott Olmsted. And that is just the beginning of his list.

A bill looming in Congress would require the Internal Revenue Service to accept electronic transmission of lending-related forms, which could speed up the lending process by days.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a proposal Thursday that asks the public to weigh in on consumer access to financial information, part of a fight between banks and fintech companies about the sharing and control of consumer records.

The Lending Club founder is trying to stage a comeback with the formation of a new online consumer lender. But he will likely face more skepticism than he did during the industry's era of explosive growth.