Consumer lending

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.

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.