Commercial lending

Previous natural disasters in the Gulf region have taught banks like MidSouth, Regions and Hancock how to swing into action to help customers and manage sudden risks.

Heather Cox is moving to USAA; female regulators are gaining prominence in the online lending conversation; and asset managers are still fighting sexism at work (but then again, who isn’t?).

The spike in the Libor rate is a boon for banks that have lots of floating-rate loans tied to the well-known benchmark. Shifts in money market funds are the driver, with the big question being how long the run will last.

Banks have found a novel way to fend off fintech’s plans to take them down: they are funding it. A new report shows corporate venture capital investors, such as those backed by banks, made up nearly a third of funding in the second quarter.

LoanDepot, a Foothill Ranch, Calif.-based company that offers mortgages, home equity loans and personal loans, has raised $150 million in term debt financing.

The Ohio company is eager to rev up SBA lending in the Windy City now that it has closed on its purchase of FirstMerit. CEO Steve Steinour also credits his company's willingness to make big upfront community commitments for a seamless approval process.

Avant, an online consumer lender based in Chicago, is shoring up its funding base with a pair of new transactions.

This year federal and state regulators have started to pay closer attention to the rapidly evolving online-lending sector — particularly online small-business lending. What follows is a look at eight key players in the debate over how to regulate this emerging industry.

State-sponsored green banks in New York and elsewhere provide a valuable service as "party planners" that bring developers and private lenders together on alternative energy projects.

United Community and Wells Fargo are among the banks building platforms to lend to senior-care facilities. Demographics suggest the business should grow significantly in coming years.