Commercial lending

The Chicago, Des Moines and Cincinnati FHLBs have grown their life insurance company membership the most in recent years.

Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati said Thursday that it will spend $27.5 billion over the next five years to provide loans and other financial services to underserved communities in its region.

In an interview, Comptroller Thomas Curry expressed concern about eroding loan standards and the potential for crippling cyberattacks. But he also argued that the industry is much stronger than it was a decade ago.

Inspired by marketplace lenders, Live Oak Bancshares created a largely digital product that can make a credit decision on a small-business loan within 48 hours. The product, which combines human decision-making and automated credit scoring, could go national as early as next year.

Disruption in credit scoring is healthy, but the new models touted by marketplace and other alternative lenders are still untested, especially about how loans will perform in a downturn.

Lending Club reported record earnings in the fourth quarter thanks to soaring loan demand.

Strong demand for rentals will keep pace with new construction over the next few years, the government-sponsored enterprise says.

Bank of America says it has found a growth opportunity courting European companies with U.S. subsidiaries as beleaguered European banks retrench.

Should companies that manage collateralized loan obligations but don't originate the loans be subject to Dodd-Frank's risk-retention rules for securitizations?

The White House and other Democrats have long pushed for banks to offer affordable small-dollar loans as an alternative to payday loans and other costlier credit, but banks have struggled to make them profitable and safe for consumers.