Commercial lending

Charles Schwab Bank, BBVA Compass and Mechanics Bank are among the latest investors in a California microfinance firm that specializes in small-business 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.

The $126 billion-asset holding company for Regions Bank said Jeremy King, who had been support manager for private wealth, is now executive vice president of wealth management strategy and effectiveness for Regions Wealth Management.

After years of bulking up on shared national credits, a number of regional banks are cutting back because of the heartburn from problem oil and gas loans. A few lenders are refusing to budge, but many will have no choice if they want to dilute the energy risk on their books.

The Canadian company took its time before making a bank acquisition in the U.S. The wait allowed management to address internal performance, assess the market and find the right bank to buy.

A new survey reveals challenges and opportunities for banks looking to serve younger entrepreneurs. Hint: they crave financial guidance and are in it for the long haul.

The Canadian company is determined to rely on low-cost deposits, lending prowess and cross-selling to justify the price it will pay for PrivateBancorp. Each of those strategies could backfire, highlighting why most acquirers emphasize cost-cutting when pitching a deal.

Seven weeks into a crisis precipitated by the ouster of the company's longtime CEO, the embattled marketplace lender is trying to convince shareholders that it is turning a corner.

LendingClub Corp. named Scott Sanborn to replace its founder and chief executive officer, who resigned unexpectedly last month, and said it will dismiss 179 employees to cope with the decline in loan volume caused by the turmoil.

Synovus Financial struggled along with its customers during the financial crisis. Now that it's healthy again, it credits the strong ties it built with those customers, and the involvement of its executives in the communities they serve, with helping restore its status as one of banking's most reputable brands.

The court's decision to return Madden v. Midland Funding to a lower court leaves unresolved a number of important questions for marketplace lenders and other parts of the consumer-finance industry.