Commercial lending

Experts in digital lending share useful insights into the potential opportunities and pitfalls, covering everything from mortgages to small business.

Evidence that the credit characteristics of online installment borrowers at the time of repayment are consistently worse than at the time of borrowing should be a sobering thought for lenders that have not been fully tested in a credit downturn.

The Cleveland Fed's conclusion that U.S. consumers are typically worse off after getting online loans encountered strong pushback from industry groups and the company that provided the data.

The company hired Kevin Thompson, a CFO with big-bank experience, to take over its top financial post. Once a fast-growing bank, Opus has spent recent months cutting costs and exiting certain business lines.

The San Francisco company is one of numerous online lenders that are struggling to become profitable.

Sterling Bancorp in New York is determined to turn Astoria Financial's largely residential operation into a commercial powerhouse. While investors are skeptical, CEO Jack Kopnisky has proven in the past that such an ambitious plan is doable.

The disagreement is tied to Walnut Street, an entity formed in 2014 to move certain commercial loans out of the bank. Separately, the company is facing a civil money penalty from the FDIC tied to issues with a third-party payment processor.

Consumers who have borrowed from online lenders owe more and have lower credit scores than similarly situated consumers who have not used online lenders, according to a study released Thursday by the Cleveland Fed. The provocative findings seem likely to spark intense debate.

Pat Hickman, CEO of Happy State Bank, wants his institution to remain viable in the face of stifling regulation. As for selling? That'll happen over his dead body, he says.

The regional bank’s first-year CEO is doing some expected things, like offering more products through digital channels, and making a few surprising moves, like inviting all credit card customers to switch to lower-rate loans.

The San Francisco firm is the latest U.S. lender to tighten credit standards amid concerns that consumers are shouldering too much debt.

The San Francisco-based lender still posted losses in its portfolio, although those declined considerably from the year-ago period.

Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer is calling on bank regulators to draw up a list of guidance going back 20 years to determine whether it should be submitted under the Congressional Review Act.

Rather than pull up stakes and leave two low-income Mississippi towns at the mercy of payday lenders, Regions Bank donated the branches to a local credit union and kicked in another $500,000 for operating costs.

Amid the rise of online lending earlier this decade, banks were derided as being too slow to adapt. But over time it's become clear that banks hold key advantages over lending startups.

Capital Corps, led by Steven Sugarman, aims to provide financing to homeowners and small businesses that it believes are overlooked by banks. The firm features several former Banc of California executives.

The online small-business lender, which has been cutting expenses, said it is on track to achieve profitability in the fourth quarter.

Community banks are spending on technology to expand without having to build new branches.

The customer interface is just the tip of the iceberg in fintech, says Wells Fargo's Secil Watson. Plus, the tech trends in business banking, a power shift on sexual harassment as women support each other, and Michelle Obama's advice on raising boys.

Fifth Third, U.S. Bancorp and others aim to design a short-term credit product that would satisfy their various regulators, but exactly how and how quickly they should go about it is murky at this point.