Retail & Commercial

It's hard for credit card issuers to expand lending when customers keep a lid on their bills the way they are these days.

In an attempt to compensate for higher foreclosure related losses, the Federal Housing Finance Agency is proposing that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac charge higher fees on new loans in five states.

A jump in previously occupied homes and a rise in new construction suggest the housing sector may be headed for recovery.

Jackson Hewitt Technology Services is the latest tax preparer to end its partnership with Republic Bancorp, following the bank's decision to no longer offer refund-anticipation loans.

Andrew Kahr blames Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's affordable housing goals for helping "inflate" the housing bubble. Former GOP appointees at HUD see it differently.

Community Bank of Central Wisconsin had to sell but couldn't find a single buyer — so it got creative and found two.

In a race closely watched by the banking industry, multiple polls conducted since the Democratic National Convention now find Elizabeth Warren leading Sen. Scott Brown. "Warren is looking unbeatable," one analyst says.

The Chicago-area company continues to make acquisitions in the Windy City, while other banks fret about a lack of targets. A key reason for CEO Edward Wehmer's success is his willingness to buy small banks, as opposed to swinging for the fences with one deal.

A federal charter will allow lenders to provide more credit alternatives with lower costs as well as flexible payback periods and loan amounts to underbanked consumers.

Add Fitch Ratings to the growing chorus of banking industry voices expressing concern about the expiration of a bailout-era deposit protection program and its potential impact on small banks.