Retail & Commercial

The Freedom Bank of Virginia is planning to cash in on the anticipated consolidation of government contractors.

Interest-only home loans are viewed as somewhat risky by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, but that is unlikely to stop the San Francisco bank from making them, its CEO says.

Quick decision-making, cash on hand and dedicated employees are musts for successful buyers of loan pools, experts said in analyzing CIT's recent purchase of $1.2 billion of loans.

For mobile payments and analytics provider Bango.net Ltd., a recent shot in the arm from investors represents a chance to expand into emerging markets and help offset the company's costs for preparing for the next generation of BlackBerry phones.

Developing new online platforms to lower APRs to 365% is a waste of resources. Instead, lenders can tackle the payday problem by partnering together, cultivating loyalty and capping expected default rates.

Smaller banks have historically shied away from equipment finance because it requires a lot of expertise that typically has an up-front cost. But a desire to book assets at higher yields has made the business more attractive, industry experts say.

The Federal Reserve Board has issued an enforcement action against the holding company of an Alabama bank.

Generation Mortgage, a reverse-mortgage lender in Atlanta, has promoted Colin Cushman to fill its recent vacancy at the top.

Diebold leaders conveyed a message of contrition to investors during the ATM manufacturer’s fourth quarter 2012 earnings call, acknowledging that change is needed and promising further organizational changes and structural cost reductions to improve performance.

HopFed Bancorp in Hopkinsville, Ky., is bolstering its presence in neighboring Tennessee with a deal to buy Sumner Bank & Trust in Gallatin.