Consumer lending

When a Columbia University professor surveyed 1,000 payday loan customers, little did he know that the resulting research report would become a lightning rod in the drafting of rules for small-dollar lenders.

Double-digit gains in net interest income more than offset sluggish growth in fee income at the Salt Lake City company.

The McLean, Va., company also reported a decline in charge-offs on credit card loans.

The consent order against California Check Cashing Stores is part of a broader crackdown by the Department of Business Oversight on small-dollar lenders trying to skirt interest rate limits.

Many government employees are turning to alternative lenders to bridge the gap between paychecks; the average pay at the biggest U.S. banks rose by just 3% last year, well below the CEO rate.

CFPB to scrap key underwriting portion of payday rule; Fiserv-First Data — why small banks fear big fintech; banks, credit unions help federal workers hurt by shutdown; and more from this week's most-read stories.

The company has filed a request with a federal judge in Pennsylvania for a summary judgment in two counts against it, accusing the bureau of failing to provide evidence.

Strong demand for commercial loans helped offset weaker growth in consumer lending and a decline in fee income.

The units that handle small business payments and the one for larger firms will be combined; survey shows U.K. consumers may shun loans.

Readers react to Sen. Elizabeth Warren's investigation into former acting Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Mick Mulvaney's job talks, weigh Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's potential impact on the Financial Services Committee, consider the future of cryptocurrency and more.