Retail & Commercial

Competition is spurring subprime auto lenders to stretch their underwriting guidelines for new customers, raising fears of another bust. In February, 5.16% of securitized subprime auto loans were at least 60 days past due, according to Fitch Ratings. That slightly exceeded the level of late payments at the height of the Great Recession. Here's a guide to who's doing what in the market, courtesy of our colleagues at Asset Securitization Report.

A white paper released Thursday said the agency might issue new guidance on fintech product development, third-party risk management and new products targeting the underbanked; streamline its licensing procedures; and appoint experts on "responsible innovation." It is still deciding whether to open an office dedicated to monitoring the fintech sector.

To help make instant payments a reality, regulators here and abroad should encourage multiple approaches, thus avoiding the temptation to mandate a single solution.

Brickell Bank in Miami has bought a trade finance portfolio from the investment brokerage firm INTL FCStone.

Blue Ridge Bankshares in Luray, Va., has agreed to buy River Bancorp in Martinsville, Va.

Regulators are right to target overdraft and other fees as obstacles to banks offering affordable checking account options, but that’s just the beginning in developing transactional products that work for consumers.

The payments pioneer is transforming its merchant cash advance into a business loan, a move that has significant legal and regulatory implications.

Peer-to-peer lending startup Ledge incorporates on millennial staples like social networking and open development to get on its feet while relying on a road paved by the financial services 'establishment' to go mainstream.

HarborOne Bank is proving that financial education really can improve the bottom line.

Scammers pocketed $3.8 million from troubled homeowners nationwide and did nothing to modify their loans, according to the special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.