Retail & Commercial

An appeals court ruled that the electronic delivery of private information that was not made public did not constitute real harm to the consumer.

The Biden administration's Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity Task Force is working to eliminate race-based bias in the assessment of home values.

The Mortgage Bankers Association forecast comes as bankers continue keeping an eye on their commercial real estate portfolios, including office buildings. The MBA also noted that many companies have long-term leases on their offices, likely making the hit more gradual.

The average rate on variable-rate cards rose above 18% this week, the highest level since 1996, according to data from Bankrate.com. The industry has been enjoying large profits, which has caught the attention of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

South End Capital, a division of Stearns Bank in Minnesota, is touting a nationwide Small Business Administration small-dollar loan product that can provide funding within days, perhaps hours. It's one of several recent small-dollar SBA lending initiatives now being offered by banks.

Bank of America says August was its best month ever for Small Business Administration lending and that it's optimistic a new program supporting women and minority commercial real estate borrowers could boost production even more.

The European Central Bank is intensifying discussions with bank executives over their readiness for a potential surge in company defaults and a drying up of energy market liquidity amid a worsening standoff over Russian gas supplies.

The average turnover rate has risen to 23% this year from about 16% in 2021, according to a Crowe Global survey of more than 400 banks. Raises and more generous benefits aren't enough to keep workers, the firm warns.

Financial downturns hit lower-wealth communities first and cause them to suffer the longest.

Lenders are extending credit to corporate suppliers, helping them get paid earlier and keeping goods flowing. But the growth in the sector carries certain risks, too.