Consumer lending

The payday loan industry is looking to extend its years-long legal fight with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It's planning to ask a federal appeals court to revisit a ruling that upheld a proposed limit on how often payday lenders can try to pull money from their customers' accounts.

The number of borrowers who are at their credit limits is approaching its pre-pandemic level, and the percentage of balances that are sliding into delinquency has hit its highest rate in more than a decade, according to new research. Still, card companies are generally expressing optimism about their credit outlooks.

Executives also say funding pressures have begun to ease, though high interest rates and deposit costs remain a leading worry, according to new surveys.

What lies ahead for the banking industry this year? Here's what analysts and investors are tracking after the latest bank earnings reports.

Thousands of consumers had to wait more than 90 days for funds after their accounts were suddenly closed, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

As the Federal Housing Finance Agency considers revising Federal Home Loan bank membership standards, it should consider the benefits of scale that large member banks make possible.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is arguing that Colorado has the right to establish an interest rate cap that all state-chartered banks must follow. Three industry groups are suing the state in an effort to stop its attempted crackdown.

The former head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau resigned Friday after the troubled rollout of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid led some House Republicans to call for his resignation.

The Wisconsin banking company forecasted loan growth of 4% to 6% for the full year, driven by an expansion into new commercial and consumer credit lines as well as enduring economic strength in the Midwest.

The store-branded card issuer is raising annual percentage rates and adding fees for paper statements to compensate for lost revenue. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new regulation is scheduled to take effect on May 14.

The Detroit-based company is exploring ways to make more consumer auto loans without running afoul of stricter capital standards that are expected from the Federal Reserve. Possible approaches include more securitizations and the use of credit risk transfers.

Net charge-offs at the Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank increased by more than 80% in the first quarter compared with a year earlier. BofA executives say that the rising losses were in line with the bank's risk appetite.

The agency's new proposal has been a long time coming, and it could reshape how consumers interact with their personal financial data.

A solid majority of decision-makers at these companies expect to expand their workforces again this year, a Citizens Financial survey found. Loan losses are normally low in eras of economic expansion.

The proposed data sharing rules could create opportunities for forward-thinking financial institutions to better serve their customers and meet ever-growing expectations for digital finance.

There are lingering questions related to the agency's 1033 proposal, including how to balance access to information with fraud prevention. But financial institutions should look for ways that access to additional data could help them create better products.

A lawsuit filed by the American Fintech Council and two other trade groups has implications for other states that also want to keep out high-cost consumer lenders.

Lower commodity prices and decreases in government assistance are expected to push farm income lower this year and raise credit risk for banks.

A key bank stock index ticked up after the Federal Reserve hinted that it could lower rates later this year. But there are still a number of economic uncertainties that are holding shareholders back.

Goldman Sachs is unloading the home improvement lending platform GreenSky after a misadventure in consumer finance. However, the consortium buying GreenSky plans to invest heavily in its growth, and Synovus says it's eager to deepen its partnership with the online lender.