Subprime lending

The firm hopes to distinguish itself from other lenders by analyzing customer cash flow to determine the likelihood that borrowers will repay.

Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration sent letters Wednesday to 20 nonbank lenders that charge triple-digit annual percentage rates to try to determine if their use of online referrals is steering borrowers into larger loans than they want or need.

The nation's fifth-largest bank on Monday rolled out a three-month consumer loan that is far less expensive than the typical payday loan. The move comes as regulators are encouraging banks to reach out to the subprime market, which they largely abandoned.

Delinquencies have held steady for a year, and observers are optimistic about upcoming third-quarter data. But the long-term question is whether solid underwriting can overcome higher vehicle prices and consumer debt burdens.

New investor appetite for mortgages over $1 million is motivating more nonbank lenders to offer super jumbo loans, often with weaker credit terms than traditional banks.

The investors initially won the right to sue as a group in 2015 before an appeals court reversed the ruling; the $13 billion lawsuit can now proceed as a class action.

The online small-business lender was aided by loan growth, wider margins and stable credit trends. Its shares surged by 25% after second-quarter earnings were announced.

As the company boosts originations to subprime and other borrowers, it remains to be seen if the improvements in asset quality will continue. A similar question mark is hanging over many consumer lenders these days.

The creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was widely expected to centralize regulation of payday and other high-cost loans in Washington. It hasn’t worked out that way.

The Fort Worth, Texas, company will be competing in a segment of the U.S. card market that has grown more competitive in the last few years.