Commercial lending

Problem technology credits drove down quarterly profits at Opus Bank in Irvine, Calif., which said it will pull back on tech lending even though that had become one of its most important niches.

Despite charging off millions of dollars of energy loans, the parent company of San Francisco-based MUFG Union Bank rode higher affiliate fees, securities gains and expense cutbacks to quarterly profit growth.

Banc of California's second-quarter profits soared on stronger lending and credit quality. The $10.2 billion-asset company increased net income 66% from a year earlier to $26.5 million, it said in a news release Thursday.

The Green Bay, Wis., company reported net income of $47 million in the second quarter, down about 1.5% from the same period last year. Associated's profitability was constrained by a $14 million provision for loan losses.

WASHINGTON — Two top Senate Democrats are calling on financial regulators to better examine the role of financial technology firms and how their activities interact with the existing regulatory structure.

In an acknowledgement that many U.S. small businesses cannot qualify for a bank loan, a federal agency that assists minority-owned firms is now partnering with a pair of online lenders.

BankUnited in Miami Lakes, Fla., on Wednesday reported higher quarterly profits, driven in part by an uptick in fee income from equipment-lease financing.

Panic around energy lending has subsided somewhat as oil prices have climbed and banks have reduced their overall exposure. But expect more trouble ahead if prices level off.

Synovus Financial in Columbus, Ga., reported higher second-quarter earnings on solid growth in revenue and loans for investment properties.

Comerica reported improvement in its energy-loan portfolio in the second quarter but charges related to a broad corporate restructuring took a bite out of overall profits.

CommonBond is doubling down on the education-debt market, which has been a pocket of tranquility in an otherwise volatile online lending sector.

The fragmentation of the U.S. regulatory system and uncertainty around what agencies will regulate fintech firms could slow down innovation.

It's liable to be an uphill climb as banks try to boost revenue and hold profit steady over the rest of the year. Here's why.

The Senate approved a bill Thursday by unanimous consent that includes major reforms to the Federal Housing Administration condominium loan program and the Rural Housing Service loan program.

Loans tied to franchises were often an area of concern for banks before the financial crisis. Industry growth, improved credit metrics and a need to diversify commercial loan portfolios are prompting several banks to take a second look at the business.

In 1999, the OCC issued a charter to the internet bank AeroBank, but the startup's efforts to raise capital were thwarted when dot-com-boom money went chasing shinier options. Nonetheless, the bank’s experiences resonate with fintech banks trying to obtain a national charter today.

Online marketplace lenders found themselves in the congressional crosshairs Tuesday just as some lawmakers are attempting to provide the industry with sought-after reforms.

The $25 billion-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that BankUnited Small Business Finance is now making loans in Ohio, Washington and Wisconsin.

WASHINGTON — The head of the American Bankers Association on Tuesday defended financial institutions' partnerships with fintech firms but argued that banks top nonbank startups in serving as "trusted custodians" for their customers' funds.

Attempting to impose the fundamental laws of a particular lending universe on another will lead to an eventual collapse of a particular firm or industry segment.