Consumer lending

Car loans are among the bread-and-butter products for credit unions, but slowing demand and growing delinquencies are putting some pressure on the category.

While Goldman Sachs is still pushing to make its expansion into consumer lending profitable, the bank is also weighing strategic alternatives, CEO David Solomon says. The dueling options reflect the problems that Wall Street giant faces in Main Street banking.

About 3% of borrowers in their 20s and 30s became seriously delinquent on their credit card payments last quarter, significantly faster than older consumers. The picture was similar in auto lending, according to research by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

A pullback by the buyers of Upstart's consumer loans led to a "challenging year," CEO Dave Girouard told analysts. But he added that the company is in "late-stage discussions" with partners that are looking to make longer-term commitments.

A federal judge in California ordered the high-cost lender CashCall to pay $134 million in restitution and a hefty fine for collecting unjust gains from consumers. He had previously ordered no restitution but was reversed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Regulators are bringing enforcement cases while also proposing wider changes that would alter the industry for years to come. The scrutiny covers pricing discrimination, products that make car purchases more expensive and lenders' handling of repossessions.

After soured loans rose above the private student lender's expectations in 2022, its stock price fell 16% on Thursday. One analyst wrote that "persistent credit issues have damaged management's credibility."

The subprime lender OppFi sued California's consumer protection agency last year, arguing its loans are not subject to the state's interest rate cap of 36%. State officials are asking a judge for an injunction on new loans until the broader fight is resolved.

The San Mateo, California-based online consumer lender has now laid off some 500 employees in recent months. The downsizing reflects broader challenges in the tech industry, but it also comes as Upstart struggles to get enough funding for its loans.

Rising inventories and the specter of regulation may make it seem like the pandemic auto boom is over, but broader trends could make it a profitable business if banks do it right.