Merchant

U.S. consumers borrowed more in the first quarter to pay for education and automobiles but their overall debt burden remained mostly flat, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

A new study on student loans runs counter to the popular belief that rising student loan debt is hurting the ability of young adults to access credit.

Two mobile phone companies reached a $158 million settlement with federal and state regulators to resolve allegations that they added third-party service charges to consumers’ telephone bills that were not authorized by consumers.

With more patients paying part or all of their health care expenses directly, health care providers find themselves thrust into the world of consumer payments and collections, where providers face different costs, risks and expectations than they did working primarily with insurance companies.

Beacons—those little Bluetooth mechanisms stores use to beam ads to shoppers' phones—may someday play a critical role in payments. But the technology is still years away from being a practical alternative to cards and NFC-based mobile wallets.

Square Inc. says it has received more funding for its Square Capital program, which grants loans to Square merchants based on their transaction history.

Nationwide Biweekly Administration, Loan Payment Administration and Daniel Lipsky - the owner of both companies - are named as defendants in a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau lawsuit that accuses the firms of deceptive mortgage practices.

Brad Blackwell, who heads portfolio lending at Wells Fargo, calls his bank's underwriters the "fighter pilots" of the lending industry — they belong to a force trained to attack very specific targets.

For many industries, the introduction of open standards has been a key driver for innovation. The rapid evolution of the internet and online services offer a vivid example of the degree to which open standards can enable immense innovation and growth.

BankUnited in Miami Lakes, Fla., has hired Hakim Kassam, a former Wells Fargo banker, to run its small business finance department.