Commercial lending

The head of the firm's real estate investment arm pushed back at the idea that buildings with coworking companies as lead tenants are risky bets for lenders.

Renaud Laplanche, one of the first fintech disruptors, is launching an unusual type of credit product at Upgrade, his new company, that is a cross between a credit card and an unsecured loan.

The Providence, R.I., bank recently installed a new regional head in California to oversee a commercial banking expansion into five western states. The bank says it’s trying to craft a successful growth strategy while reassuring investors it isn’t overreaching.

Maine Harvest Federal Credit Union, which will serve farmers and the food industry, opened this week and aims to make $12 million in loans over the next six years.

Barely noticed in a corner of the financial markets, leveraged loans originally worth about $40 billion are staging their own private meltdown.

Credit unions approved just 39.7% of small business loan applications in September, according to the Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index.

A strong economy, low-cost deposits and disruption from M&A are presenting opportunities.

The state's Democratic-controlled Legislature has enacted laws establishing data privacy rights, giving municipalities the ability to set up public banks, and requiring standardized disclosures on small-business loans, among other issues. Lawmakers elsewhere are taking notice.

One bill would tax credit unions in the Sunflower State with at least $100 million in assets.

Futurist Lex Sokolin believes buying banking products will be like buying generic pain relievers on Amazon.