Commercial lending

The Senate confirmed Joseph Otting, a former business partner of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, to lead the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

It’s good to be a business lender with a long contact list. Loan growth is weak and the talent pool has been shrinking, so banks big and small are paying top dollar to get an edge.

A bill that would ensure fintechs can continue to partner with banks to make loans at interest rates that exceed state caps drew some bipartisan support on Wednesday, despite opposition by consumer groups.

Banks would be big winners if Congress slashes corporate tax rates and they will have no shortage of options for deploying all that extra cash.

Beneficial Bancorp in Pennsylvania believes it can make a dent in a relationship-driven business that is expected to have more borrower demand in 2018.

Experts in digital lending share useful insights into the potential opportunities and pitfalls, covering everything from mortgages to small business.

Evidence that the credit characteristics of online installment borrowers at the time of repayment are consistently worse than at the time of borrowing should be a sobering thought for lenders that have not been fully tested in a credit downturn.

The Cleveland Fed's conclusion that U.S. consumers are typically worse off after getting online loans encountered strong pushback from industry groups and the company that provided the data.

The company hired Kevin Thompson, a CFO with big-bank experience, to take over its top financial post. Once a fast-growing bank, Opus has spent recent months cutting costs and exiting certain business lines.

The San Francisco company is one of numerous online lenders that are struggling to become profitable.

Sterling Bancorp in New York is determined to turn Astoria Financial's largely residential operation into a commercial powerhouse. While investors are skeptical, CEO Jack Kopnisky has proven in the past that such an ambitious plan is doable.

The disagreement is tied to Walnut Street, an entity formed in 2014 to move certain commercial loans out of the bank. Separately, the company is facing a civil money penalty from the FDIC tied to issues with a third-party payment processor.

Consumers who have borrowed from online lenders owe more and have lower credit scores than similarly situated consumers who have not used online lenders, according to a study released Thursday by the Cleveland Fed. The provocative findings seem likely to spark intense debate.

Pat Hickman, CEO of Happy State Bank, wants his institution to remain viable in the face of stifling regulation. As for selling? That'll happen over his dead body, he says.

The regional bank’s first-year CEO is doing some expected things, like offering more products through digital channels, and making a few surprising moves, like inviting all credit card customers to switch to lower-rate loans.

The San Francisco firm is the latest U.S. lender to tighten credit standards amid concerns that consumers are shouldering too much debt.

The San Francisco-based lender still posted losses in its portfolio, although those declined considerably from the year-ago period.

Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer is calling on bank regulators to draw up a list of guidance going back 20 years to determine whether it should be submitted under the Congressional Review Act.

Rather than pull up stakes and leave two low-income Mississippi towns at the mercy of payday lenders, Regions Bank donated the branches to a local credit union and kicked in another $500,000 for operating costs.

Amid the rise of online lending earlier this decade, banks were derided as being too slow to adapt. But over time it's become clear that banks hold key advantages over lending startups.