Commercial lending

First Foundation is in transformation mode, after a capital infusion and new management gave it some power to remix its challenged balance sheet. But the bank just took its third quarterly loss out of the last four quarters.

Northeast Bank and its fintech lending partner Newity have engineered a surge in 7(a) loans that has helped the Portland, Maine-based bank boost profits as tightened regulatory standards made the loans harder to get.

Eagle Bancorp in Maryland took a major quarterly loss due to challenges in its office loan portfolio. It's one of many banks working to trim down their commercial real estate loan books.

A coalition of consumer groups sued the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and acting Director Russell Vought for refusing to implement a statutorily mandated small-business data collection rule that is already tied up in litigation.

Growing loans was a tall order in 2024, but banks that could do just that were able to outperform their peers.

Among banks with between $10 billion and $50 billion of assets, those that targeted narrow lending markets rose to the top.

The North Carolina-based regional bank still expects its revenue to outpace its spending this year, though if interest rates hold steady, it could "create some risk," a top executive said Friday.

After the rapid rise of interest rates, election uncertainty and tariff policies stymied borrower demand, some banks' second-quarter results suggest that loan growth may be on its way back.

The Pittsburgh-based bank's average loans increased 2% from the prior quarter, its largest jump since the end of 2022.

In a surprise settlement, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ordered the Texas lender to pay a penalty and compensate for overcharging service members on more than 45,000 loans.

Seven of the 20 top-performing banks with $2 billion to $10 billion of assets last year were based in Texas. But it's not about being bigger.

Dime Community Bancshares, which has added dozens of bankers over the past two years, is now ready to consider expanding its geography.

While banks will likely increase near-term dividend plans, analysts and investors are more focused on the long-term outlook for capital requirements from regulators.

More than 5,000 rent-stabilized New York City apartments are facing a funding crunch after a federal judge denied a request to tap the income of its major lender, Flagstar Bank.

Lenders have been working to shrink their rent-regulated real estate loan portfolios since a watershed state law passed in 2019, but those plans may be accelerated.

A number of fintechs emerged amid the COVID-19 pandemic as a flurry of Paycheck Protection Program loan applications inundated banks. Now, the government is alleging many of them facilitated or committed fraud.

Barely two years after adopting a bank charter, NewtekOne in Florida plans to expand beyond its roots as an SBA 7(a) lender by growing its alternative loan program.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau cited ongoing litigation and cost benefits in extending compliance by roughly a year with reporting data on the race, ethnicity and gender of small business loan applicants.

Small businesses are essential to the ongoing prosperity of the United States, but they are not well served by the country's largest banks. For everyone's sake, that needs to change.

Hendricks County Bank loan officers are using Abrigo's Community Lending platform to help small-business loans get approval more quickly.