Retail & Commercial

Trading of securities backed by Fannie, Freddie and Ginnie is down sharply since the beginning of the year. Bankers' concerns about capital and rates are among the reasons, and the problem may ultimately make the underlying market for mortgages less liquid.

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week, including how convenience may help banks beat out Silicon Valley and whether community banks can reduce their regulatory burden on their own.

Investors have varied expectations of how banks should build and deploy capital. Ultimately, management teams need to stick to their growth plans rather than serve the whims of specific shareholders.

Consumers increased their borrowing in March by the largest amount in nearly a year as borrowing on credit cards rebounded after two months of declines.

Debt-buying giant Encore Capital Group reports first-quarter gains, including in portfolio purchasing and recoveries.

Prosper is already offering loans at doctor's offices while Lending Club is testing a device that would allow it to make loans on the spot at car dealerships and other retailers. The efforts highlight the need for marketplace lenders to keep innovating as competition for customers intensifies.

Baylake Corp. in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., has agreed to buy New Bancshares in Kewaunee, Wis.

A dysfunctional culture can harm banks' long-term viability and share value growth. Luckily, these problems can be fixed by encouraging team accountability, empowering employees to make decisions, and showing appreciation for staffers.

Bank of America pops up in Friday's news for several reasons, including an article revealing the bank and JPMorgan Chase agreed to scrape debts discharged in bankruptcy from consumers' credit reports within the next three months. The move comes in response to a set of lawsuits.

Hanmi Financial in Los Angeles is planning to close four branches.