Commercial lending

Offering a new product or considering a merger may boost returns, but the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency says changes in strategy can be risky.

The management team at Bank of the Ozarks knows it has a dependency on commercial real estate. But they assert that sound underwriting, and efforts to diversify, are what really matters when assessing risk.

Turmoil in marketplace lending has less to do with loan quality and more to do with how lenders price loans to meet supply and demand.

A centralized platform that validates loan and borrower data and tracks ownership of marketplace loans could prevent fraudulent activities and help investors regain confidence.

Blackmoon, a Russian financial technology startup that analyzes, screens and prices loans issued by others to sell on to investors, is opening a U.S. office to expand in the world's biggest market for non-bank lending.

Medallion Bank in New York has sold nearly $100 million in prime-credit consumer loans, largely consisted of home improvement and recreational vehicle installment loans, to an unnamed buyer.

While fintech companies are urging federal regulators to create a federal charter that would allow them to follow a single national standard instead of a myriad of state rules, such a benefit will almost certainly come with strings attached, including possible compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act.

American Express plans to debut an online loan platform for small-business clients this year, targeting territory occupied by startups like Square and On Deck Capital.

For the second time in six weeks, the online lender Avant is taking steps to reduce the size of its workforce.

Affirm's head of new markets, Brad Selby, says hidden fees and onerous compounding interest terms are trapping too many consumers in deep credit card debt.