Retail & Commercial

The coronavirus pandemic has created major credit issues at the Boston bank and stymied efforts to improve profits, fueling speculation that the onetime serial acquirer could be a takeover target.

The card giant could pay $850 million in cash for the online small-business lender, according to a person familiar with the talks.

The agency sought feedback on potential changes to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. But a coalition of industry and advocacy groups want a longer comment period to afford “a greater opportunity for thoughtful public participation.”

Richard Marotta left the Boston company less than two weeks after a goodwill impairment charge contributed to a large quarterly loss.

MatlinPatterson, which once owned more than 60% of the Michigan company, has been paring back its stake in recent years.

The Small Business Administration began accepting applications Monday, but lenders such as JPMorgan Chase are holding off in hopes that Congress will grant blanket forgiveness for smaller Paycheck Protection Program loans.

Somerset Trust in rural Pennsylvania has partnered with RoamHR, a financial platform that assists the self-employed, to add tax-withholding help for contract and temporary workers to the bank's services.

CUNA Mutual Group previously provided this service through a joint venture with PMI Mortgage Insurance but exited the business in 2014.

The company said it has concerns about a large amount of accounts receivable it bought in July.

More than a third fear the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic could drag into 2022 or later, and they are most worried about commercial real estate loans, according to a Promontory Interfinancial Network survey.