Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati said Thursday that it will spend $27.5 billion over the next five years to provide loans and other financial services to underserved communities in its region.

Inspired by marketplace lenders, Live Oak Bancshares created a largely digital product that can make a credit decision on a small-business loan within 48 hours. The product, which combines human decision-making and automated credit scoring, could go national as early as next year.

Bank of Botetourt in Buchanan, Va., founded in 1899, said Thursday it has opened a mortgage division to pursue unmet demand for home loans in southwestern Virginia.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency's decision to exclude captive insurance companies from Federal Home Loan Bank membership makes the FHLB system like a private country club.

U.S. Bancorp has hired John Steward as president of its retail payments solutions division.

Disruption in credit scoring is healthy, but the new models touted by marketplace and other alternative lenders are still untested, especially about how loans will perform in a downturn.

Morgan Stanley agreed to pay $3.2 billion to end a joint federal-state investigation into its handling of mortgage-backed securities, the fourth deal to be struck in a probe of the big U.S. banks' role in the subprime mortgage meltdown and the financial crisis it spawned.

The Madrid-based bank announced Thursday that it will invest $250 million in Propel Venture Partners.

The percentage of auto loans to buyers with the poorest credit ratings is growing faster than the rest of the auto finance market, according to an analysis from Experian Automotive.

U.S. authorities cracked down on two major payday lending empires Wednesday, arresting three people tied to the industry, including race car driver Scott Tucker.

WASHINGTON — The flood of new apartments will put upward pressure on vacancy rates in the next two years, but the multifamily market should stay strong, according to a new Freddie Mac forecast.

Lending Club reported record earnings in the fourth quarter thanks to soaring loan demand.

Frandsen Financial took the industry's plan to allow faster payments as a call to action. It invested in automation software, which allowed employees previously bogged down with manual tasks to focus on more meaningful duties.

Rather than replace aging servers and add an on-site backup system, The Eastern Colorado Bank moved its IT infrastructure to the cloud. While some bankers fear outsourcing such systems, the community bank has had a hosted core for several years.

The $2 billion-asset Hampton Roads said in a press release Wednesday that it will pay $107.2 million in stock for the $1 billion-asset Xenith.

Strong demand for rentals will keep pace with new construction over the next few years, the government-sponsored enterprise says.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services is warning banks with high levels of exposure to the energy industry to think twice before ramping up their lending in other sectors.

Kelly King, the North Carolina company's chief executive, also noted that BB&T is busy integrating a number of recent acquisitions. It is leaning toward buying back stock, though management could be coaxed into making a deal if the right bank became available.

The CFPB is reporting on a financial scam targeting older consumers who previously were victims of fraudulent money-making schemes such as timeshare investments and in-home business opportunities.

Sen. Bernie Sanders' victory in the New Hampshire primary will undoubtedly provide fresh momentum for his campaign against Hillary Clinton, but is also likely to subject many of his proposals to a harsher spotlight as his credibility as a candidate grows.