Retail & Commercial

By targeting construction lending, 1st Financial Bank USA aims to expand beyond its hefty concentration in credit card loans while entering a business segment that has shrunk mightily since the financial crisis.

Debt-buying giant Encore Capital Group Inc. agreed Friday to settle claims that it used improper collection strategies in New York, including obtaining judgments against consumers for debts that were too old to collect.

As with any marriage, banks that forge alliances with tech companies need to make sure they really know their partners. They may also want to consider a prenup.

Kofax, a financial technology company in Irvine, Calif., on Thursday released a product that allows lenders to capture and process electronic signatures.

More than 1,000 North Carolina residents have reported receiving collection calls from an electronic message system that claims to be from the Internal Revenue Service.

Revolving consumer credit, which is mostly made up of credit card loans, fell in November by the largest amount in a year, according to a report Thursday from the Federal Reserve Board.

The company said in a press release Thursday that it redeemed preferred shares worth $76.46 million that were issued under the program to the Treasury Department.

Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin addressed speculation about a possible presidential bid during a speech to the Wisconsin Bankers Association.

Revolving consumer credit in the U.S. fell in November by the largest amount in a year, according to a report Thursday from the Federal Reserve Board.

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro moved swiftly on Thursday to defend pending cuts to the Federal Housing Administration's premiums, rebutting GOP arguments they are premature.