Banking

Online alternative financing can be an efficient source of capital for small businesses, but it can also be predatory, especially to unaware and inexperienced borrowers.

ICBA Bancard has bought an agent bank portfolio from Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati that carries about $98 million in credit card receivables.

For years, Tian Jia made the kind of returns on his money that investors in the rest of the world could only dream of. The 29-year-old Beijing-based programmer had $440,000 on deposit at the Hong Kong bitcoin exchange Bitfinex until last week.

In 2008, the smartphone revolution had begun but there were no mobile-first banks and brick-and-mortar institutions were still watching whether mobile banking would actually catch on with consumers.

Customers Bancorp in Wyomissing, Pa., plans to sell $50 million in common stock.

Farmers Capital Bank in Frankfort, Ky., will consolidate its four banks under a single charter.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of AmericanBanker.com articles and our social media platforms.

CNB Financial in Clearfield, Pa., has picked a veteran director to be its next chairman, the sixth in the company's 32-year history.

A federal judge in California approved a $2.4 million settlement in a class- action lawsuit against Social Finance, a San Francisco-based online lender.

New documents shed light on the recent incident in which many prepaid card users reported that they were unable to access their own money.

The $3.4 billion-asset company said in a press release that the division will offer a variety of SBA products.

A new exam handbook released by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is sparking concerns that the agency is quietly expanding heightened regulatory guidelines meant for larger banks to smaller institutions.

Meta Financial Group in Sioux Falls, S.D., has expansion in mind, citing M&A and other growth-related pursuits as the reasons behind a $75 million debt issuance.

Old Line Bancshares in Bowie, Md., has issued $35 million in subordinated debt to help pay for an acquisition and for growth moves down the road.

Banks have gotten better at detecting digital banking fraud, but the process of closing and reopening accounts is still a mess — and that is what could send more customers packing.

Many energy lenders are paring back exposure to the energy sector, creating opportunities for banks like First Horizon and Bank of the Ozarks.

Carrie Dolan steps down as CFO of Lending Club. All eyes are on Marissa Mayer's next move as the Yahoo-Verizon deal plays out — and speaking of women righting ships: Mary Hines talks about reviving Citi's loyalty program.

Payday lenders are pushing into more states with longer-term installment loans or lines of credit, a shift that is expected to accelerate with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's plan to regulate small-dollar loans.

A Federal Housing Finance Agency rule that will force some members of the Federal Home Loan Bank System out next year is likely to have a material effect on several of the cooperative institutions.

Mortgage lenders can expand their businesses by catering to borrowers who aren't proficient in English, but doing so requires strategic recruiting and hiring and compliance with federal and state regulations.