Consumer lending

The Detroit-based auto lender has been dealing with an imbalance in deposit costs and loan yield since rates rapidly rose. Now, the bank's fixed-rate loans from before are maturing.

The credit card company is seeing fewer customers fall behind on their payments. But with lower-income consumers still being pinched by inflation, Synchrony isn't loosening its lending standards.

A federal appeals court ruled that the Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits not just outright discrimination but also the discouragement of prospective applicants for credit.

The Cincinnati bank has agreed to pay a total of $20 million to settle a lawsuit by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over fake bank accounts and to resolve separate violations involving force-placed auto insurance.

A law that took effect this week allows Florida consumers to ask state regulators to investigate why a financial institution canceled an account or rejected a loan application. The law, which applies to federally chartered banks, could lead to a legal battle over the limits of state powers.

This year Texas banks dominated American Banker's annual list of the top-performing larger community banks. See which institution came in at No. 1 for this asset class.

A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction sought by industry groups that sued to block a Colorado law. The law, which would cap interest rates on consumer loans, targets partnerships between fintechs and out-of-state banks.

Financial services professionals should be in the business of normalizing discussions about personal finance. The result will be a more financially literate population, and that's good for everyone.

The high court will determine how much deference judges should give to regulators in interpreting laws passed by Congress. The upcoming ruling has especially big implications for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has drawn the banking industry's ire.

The best way for banks to alleviate the effects of extreme weather events is to continue to do what they do best — lend.

Payday lenders want an appeals court to rehear a novel claim about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's funding despite a Supreme Court ruling last month that upheld the agency's funding as constitutional.

Late payments, which have been on a steady rise since 2021, are now climbing at a slower rate or even declining at some major card issuers. Risks remain, but there's 'reason to be cautiously optimistic," one analyst said.

In recent years, the wealth gulf between white and Black families has only grown. But there is hope that advances in fintech, such as wider adoption of artificial intelligence, can help.

The San Francisco fintech's newest product seeks to improve lenders' underwriting decisions by identifying gig-work wages, buy now/pay later loans and other income streams gleaned from bank-account data.

The retail giant has scrapped its credit card partnership with Capital One, its second public spat in recent years with a partner bank. Analysts say it may be a sign that Walmart wants to launch its own credit card on what it hopes will be a financial super-app.

Digital-first collection agencies such as TrueAccord, January and InDebted are analyzing consumer engagement signals and more to determine the most effective way for its clients to collect on debt.

Analyzed from a property rights perspective, the dividends paid by the Federal Home Loan banks to their members are surprisingly stingy, and vary wildly between the different banks.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a new interpretive rule designating buy now/pay later lenders as credit card providers, subjecting those services to consumer protections like the right to dispute charges and receive refunds.

Investors are facing recent pressure after Republic First's collapse, allegations of criminal activity by an executive at Old National and a pending CFPB rule affecting credit card fees.

Gaps in traditional means of assessing creditworthiness are being filled by new kinds of information, such as cash flow data. The result will be good for both banks and borrowers.