Commercial lending

The percentage of farm lenders losing money hit a six-year high in the third quarter, according to the FDIC.

The online lender, which has received state approval to establish a virtual currency business, can now offer a full range of investment services — including trading in digital assets — in New York.

Instead of imposing interest rate caps, policymakers should require online lenders to provide clear disclosures and promote partnerships with banks.

Alternative data "may improve the speed and accuracy of credit decisions and may help firms evaluate the creditworthiness of consumers," the agencies said.

Mullis has thrived as a traditional community banker, leading the redevelopment of historic buildings in a small, struggling Georgia town and successfully growing Morris Bank in a mostly rural market.

The Small Business Administration has told lawmakers it can reinvigorate its streamlined guarantee program by nearly tripling the maximum loan size. So far, Congress has been mum on the idea.

Many lenders are establishing a firm bottom on variable interest rates amid intense competition for commercial credits, rising deposit costs and the possibility that the Fed could take rates to unprecedented lows.

David Becker, who founded First Internet Bank two decades ago, says traditional banks' digital-only ventures are only making his bank look more mainstream.

Bank regulators are considering a bypass to the 2015 court ruling governing loan sales that would ultimately offer more credit options to entrepreneurs.

George Cook could have joined Somerset Trust, where his father is CEO. Instead, he founded Honeycomb Credit, a crowdfunding platform that competes with banks.

The payments company has loaned $5.5 billion to 275,000 small businesses, thanks to a data-driven process free from human interaction.

Nearly one in four bankers said that the tech giants pose the biggest competitive threat in the long term. But are those fears warranted?

The once-acquisitive company appears ready to come off the sidelines, but will it be as a buyer or seller?

The startup — whose backers include CitiVentures, SVB Capital and Microsoft's venture fund — says it's building an end-to-end platform for small businesses that integrates loans, checking, payments and other services.

The 2015 decision posed new legal challenges for institutions trying to sell loans to third parties, but the federal regulatory agency proposed steps Monday for banks and debt parties to evade state interest rate caps.

Earnings hit could be avoided if BB&T and SunTrust complete deal by 2020; Fannie and Freddie will likely exit conservatorship by 2024, Calabria says; tired of paying 'ransom' to core vendors, two small banks fund new one; and more from this week's most-read stories.

Member business lending growth has fluctuated in recent years but growth overall is slowing even as balances continue to rise. The long run of success could prove to be a problem when the economy finally turns south.

Banks are putting more effort in deposit gathering and fee-based products to offset thinning margins and increased payoffs by small-business clients.

A similar bill was introduced into the House earlier this year and both pieces of legislation have have bipartisan support.

Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order Wednesday establishing a board that would come up with a plan to create a public bank in New Jersey.