Banks are capitalizing on changing consumer habits - and satisfying a pressing need to diversify their loan portfolios - with a spate of instant point-of-sale loans for everything from iPhones to home improvements.

A plan by the largest U.S. bank to use part of its tax windfall to enter new markets (including Washington and Boston) could become a serious threat for banks of all sizes in those cities — or looked backed upon someday as a pricey overexpansion.

Citizens Financial, Regions and SunTrust reported strong gains in consumer banking, including loans made through partnerships with retailers and fintech lenders. They want to keep it up to compensate for slack in commercial lending.

For the second week in a row, the CFPB's leadership shakeout dominated readers' attention, while a regional banker discussed efforts to fight hacking and the impact of the tax cuts, and bitcoin's price soared.

During a sit-down interview, Bruce Van Saun, the CEO at Citizens Financial, explained how Washington policy changes could boost lending, why cyber threats keep him up nights and how fintechs and AI are changing the industry for the better.

It’s good to be a business lender with a long contact list. Loan growth is weak and the talent pool has been shrinking, so banks big and small are paying top dollar to get an edge.

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.

Home equity lines could double over the next six years. Some banks are actively pursuing the consumer credit opportunity, whereas many still feel stung by the housing crisis, unimpressed by home equity’s comeback so far or fearful of nonbank competition and fraud.

The Providence, R.I., company surpassed its goal for return on tangible common equity that it had set for itself after its initial public offering.

The Providence, R.I., company said Wednesday that it has launched its robo adviser in an effort to make inroads in serving “mass affluent” customers.

Auto risks mounting. Mortgage market tightening. Are there any good risks these days in consumer lending? Regional bank executives insist partnerships with online lenders, unsecured personal loans and other niche efforts can work if done properly.

The Rhode Island bank plans to build out its fee income capabilities, expand C&I lending in the Southeast, renegotiate vendor contracts and take other steps to produce expense cuts and revenue enhancements of at least $90 million.

Michael Cleary, Santander's head of consumer and business banking, and Robert Rubino, a former executive vice president at Citizens Financial Group, will share duties while overseeing their own business units.

The initiative comes as the bank is carving out a niche in the market for midsize companies.

The good news: SBA lending is going gangbusters and business owners are optimistic about growth prospects and their ability to access credit. The not-so-good news: Many firms are still not particularly interested in borrowing and startups are not the engines of job creation they once were.

The regional bank has a deal to acquire Western Reserve Partners, which offers merger-advisory services to midsize companies.

Fees from capital markets activities have propelled profits at several regional banks when they needed it —and just as the Glass-Steagall redux crowd wants to kill that business.

Executives at BB&T, KeyCorp and Citizens are milking commercial lending niches and balancing cost control with new investments while waiting for more rate hikes to fatten margins.

The "Citizens Checkup" program to help customers set financial goals has come under fire, but CEO Bruce Van Saun says it is valuable and "here to stay," and that the criticism of it pales in comparison to the Wells Fargo scandal.

First-quarter earnings at the Providence, R.I., company jumped 45% thanks partly to improvements in its net interest margin, 7% loan growth and stronger card and other noninterest income.