Consumer lending

Consumers are booking rooms at levels not seen since early 2020 and loan delinquencies have fallen sharply as a result. Still, business travel remains sluggish and new COVID variants are spreading, threatening the hotel industry’s recovery.

Bank of America expects interest income to rise as stronger borrowing outweighs the impact of low rates. The upbeat forecast is in contrast with remarks from JPMorgan Chase executives.

The company fell short of net interest income projections as loans and leases in the consumer banking unit dropped 12% from a year earlier. However, loan balances grew from the first quarter — the first sequential increase in a year.

While customers of the nation’s largest bank are spending more, an unusually small percentage of their purchases are becoming debt. Executives warn that the bank’s predicament could persist for the rest of the year.

Bankers insist borrowing will pick up on the back of a post-pandemic economic recovery. But so far there are few signs of a rebound, and analysts are skeptical one is imminent.

The fintech, which arranges point-of-sale loans in partnership with merchants, was fined $2.5 million by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and ordered to refund up to $9 million to consumers who received loans they never applied for.

Income share agreements, which allow college graduates to repay tuition financing as a percentage of their future income, have come under fire lately from consumer advocates for questionable marketing and other potential legal violations. Some hope a partnership between a Virginia bank and an ISA provider will give the product more legitimacy, while others worry it just masks risks for borrowers.

Shoppers surveyed in the U.S., U.K. and Australia cited concerns about debt and fees, along with a general lack of knowledge about how installment loans work, as reasons for their skepticism.

The Spanish bank’s U.S. holding company said it will pay a premium to purchase the publicly traded shares in Santander Consumer Holdings. The proposal is subject to the approval of the auto lender’s board of directors.

The number of grievances about evictions and federal student loans declined between January 2020 and May 2021. Nonetheless, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned financial firms that poor customer service can undermine government efforts to provide aid.