Retail & Commercial

The two credit-card issuers, which have become far more reliant on retail deposits in recent years, are offering assurances that the money will not flee when interest rates rise.

WASHINGTON — Policymakers should consider changing rules that limit the amount of debt that holding companies can carry in order to exempt more community banks from the restrictions, a senior Federal Reserve Board official said Friday.

The U.S. Postal Service's inspector general said Friday that it is seeking proposals from outside groups about possible postal banking services.

BBVA Compass is planning to direct $11 billion to lower-income communities. The $76 billion-asset company’s pledge includes $6.2 billion to small businesses and $1.8 billion in community development loans.

The state that forged a middle ground on payday lending serves as both a potential model and a warning sign for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Borrowers must have other factors such as housing counseling, stronger credit histories, or lower debt to income ratios to qualify for new low-down-payment loans, said FHFA Director Mel Watt.

Banks on opposite coasts — Sterling Bancorp in New York and Banner in Washington — are joining the list of institutions teetering on the $10 billion-asset threshold where a slew of new regulation kicks in. The banks' CEOs said they were finally able to peg the expected costs of reaching that size.

Hilltop Holdings in Dallas has disclosed that its mortgage unit is under federal investigation in connection with underwriting practices for loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration.

Hanmi Financial in Los Angeles reported higher quarterly earnings as organic loan growth and an acquisition offset significant margin pressure.

Debt buyer Encore Capital Group Inc. reported Thursday that total revenues in the third quarter ended Sept. 30 increased 16% to a record $273.3 million, compared to $235.6 million in the year-ago period.