Intuit’s reportedly nearing a $7 billion deal to acquire Credit Karma, giving it an offering that could empower fintechs to more closely encroach on bank territory.

B2B payments can thrive in the uncertain regulatory environment with the help of APIs, says Become's Eden Amirav.

Intuit has agreed to buy Credit Karma for $7.1 billion. The move is seen as a way for Intuit to get access to more consumer behavior data, generate new sources of income and potentially protect a key business.

Tech firm accuses PNC of stealing trade secrets; online lender LendingClub agrees to acquire Radius Bank; questions arise whether regulators are turning more partisan; and more from this week's most-read stories.

The heads of the two companies explain how the deal came about, what hurdles they face and how they plan to mash up their very different operations.

Under the partnership with Fundation, Fifth Third will offer loans and credit lines up to $100,000 that can be funded in as little as a day.

Akoya has been building a data-sharing network that gives fintechs access to bank account data through application programming interfaces as an alternative to screen scraping. JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Capital One are among its new owners.

LendingClub and Varo Money are making inroads into the traditional financial system, but other fintechs still face long odds.

Some institutions say the combination of chatbots and social media could entice new borrowers, but burdensome legacy systems may limit their effectiveness.

The challenge for other fintechs will be to find banks that are as compatible as Radius Bank, an online-only lender, is for LendingClub.

The move comes as the fintech tries to shake off criticism that its main products are payday loans by another name.

When established card networks such as Visa, American Express and Mastercard start investing in fintech lending platforms such as Divido and ChargeAfter — as well as in the fintech lenders themselves such as Klarna and Vyze — it’s a clear signal that the future of unsecured personal loans may not be delivered by banks.

The game has changed and bank executives will have to do more homework before striking a deal.

Clearer standards make it easier for shareholders to boost their stakes in banks without having to file for bank holding company status.

The deal for Boston-based Radius would be the first in history in which an online lender buys a mainstream bank.

Long-term success in the adoption of cloud technology requires a focus and integration of cloud within the broader business transformation plan, says Unisys' Maria Allen.

As well-funded rivals pounce, Dwolla founder and CEO Ben Milne is looking for new leadership and a new strategy.

Investors poured a fresh $400 million into Toast following a year in which the payment firm more than doubled revenue from its network of restaurant clients.

The startup spawned in Eastern Bank's innovation lab says its bank customers asked for client-friendly software for account opening, credit cards and more types of commercial lending.

Despite advances in anti-fraud technology, scams remain a major problem for the energy industry, as criminals continue to exploit vulnerabilities present within the current system.