It's been nearly a century since reformers and lenders agreed on 36% as a small-dollar loan ceiling. Inflation has since swelled production costs, and lending under this cap is no longer profitable. The result: fewer options for consumers.

Lakeland Bancorp in Oak Ridge, N.J., has agreed to buy Pascack Bancorp in Waldwick, N.J.

ASB Bancorp in Asheville, N.C., has received its second challenge in less than a month from an activist investor. The latest seeks a sale of the company.

WASHINGTON — In the wake of Benjamin Lawsky's departure as head of the New York Department of Financial Services two months ago, there were some in the banking industry that predicted the agency might back away from being the outspoken, aggressive one it had become during his tenure.

First Foundation in Irvine, Calif., has begun an initial public offering to raise up to $100 million.

AJS Bancorp in Midlothian, Ill., has given its chairman and chief executive the additional title of chief financial officer.

Guardian Mortgage has named a Bank of America executive to succeed Marcia Phillips as chief executive.

Banks are seeing stronger consumer demand for credit for a range of products, including residential mortgages, auto loans and credit cards, according to a Federal Reserve Board survey of senior loan officers released Monday.

An estimated 12 million Americans buy used cars through informal channels each year. Those consumers are underserved by traditional auto lenders, says Lending Club Chief Executive Renaud Laplanche.

Most real estate agents and home builders have heard about the new mortgage disclosures that take effect Oct. 1 but are light on the details, and many of the lenders they rely on lack sufficient understanding to help them.

A high percentage of loans to oil and gas firms are large and syndicated. As a result, more shared loans are becoming problematic for participating lenders.

Promontory Financial vowed to take the New York Department of Financial Services to court after it effectively banned the consulting firm from working on regulatory issues for banks the department supervises.

Millennials are beginning to take on more auto and student loans but are lagging in their use of credit cards and are slower to build some types of credit compared to Generation X and Baby Boomers, a report from Experian reveals.

The appearance of consumers’ account numbers on the outside of envelopes containing letters from collection agencies does not violate the FDCPA, two New York federal judges ruled in separate cases.

Citigroup is being investigated over its student-loan servicing practices in a probe that the bank said echoes an enforcement action against at least one other institution.

HSBC Holdings Plc's first-half profit beat analysts' estimates, buoyed by income from Asia and securities trading, and the bank agreed to sell its Brazilian operations for about $1 billion more than expected.

Glacier Bancorp in Kalispell, Mont., has agreed to buy Cañon National Bank in Cañon City, Colo., for $31.8 million.

The National Credit Union Administration's plan to liberalize its rule governing member business lending has touched a raw nerve inside the community banking industry.

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A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week, including whether independent consultants should be criminally liable for misrepresentations in their reports and whether higher rates will help or hurt banks.