Commercial lending

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.

LendingClub won over debt investors with algorithms that quickly assess borrowers' creditworthiness, making it easy for banks, hedge funds and others to snap up billions of dollars of consumer loans arranged through its online platform. Those algorithms still have some kinks.

Despite their recent growth, too few marketplace lenders are reporting data to the consumer reporting agencies, which could negative repercussions on the financial system.

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SunTrust Banks in Atlanta has committed $50 million to a credit facility for the online small-business lender Credibly.

Atlantic Capital Bancshares in Atlanta has formed a lending division to focus on the emerging film and entertainment industry in Georgia.

WASHINGTON — The current financial regulatory structure is ill-suited for innovation, but a legislative effort to fix that may still be a long way off, according to top House Republican lawmakers.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is urging banks to perform due diligence and identify potential risks before conducting business with marketplace lenders.

OnDeck Capital, an online small-business lender in New York, has added a former E-Trade Financial executive to its board, as another director plans to leave.

The marijuana industry is still hampered by its own banking crisis, but the rigidity of federal laws is not stopping all advances in financial services for the sector.

CoBiz Financial in Denver postponed a conference call to discuss its fourth-quarter earnings, after an $11.2 million loan was downgraded and placed into nonaccrual status.

College Ave Student Loans, an online lender in Wilmington, Del., announced Thursday that it has raised $20 million in equity financing.