Commercial lending

Bank CEOs have recently raised red flags about the president's protectionist rhetoric, including his proposals to tax imports from China and Mexico. The concerns have arisen as import-export financing is already facing headwinds.

Usama Ashraf, the marketplace lender's new chief financial officer, will oversee finance activities and its capital markets function.

The Louisiana company will enter several markets around Dallas with the $21 million deal

The company continued to reduce its exposure to energy loans during the fourth quarter.

The acquisition should allow the San Francisco-based online lender SoFi to fulfill a long-standing goal: offering a deposit account to its young, upwardly mobile customers.

Gary Armstrong, former Richmond, Va., market president for Park Sterling, will have a similar role at Bay Banks.

Citigroup's decision to exit mortgage servicing by the end of 2018 is part of a long-term strategy to increase returns and sharpen the bank's focus on its core retail customers.

The California bank has hired an outside firm to review its loans and will de-emphasize health care lending.

Eastern Bank developed its own online lending platform to compete with the likes of Kabbage and OnDeck. It might now be able to cash in by licensing to other banks.

If offering a national regulation option to fintech players is the carrot, compliance with commonsense borrower protections could be the stick in promoting responsible financial innovation.