Consumer lending

Capital One Financial posted a 17% rise in net income in the fourth quarter thanks largely to growth in its U.S. credit card business.

BB&T and KeyCorp's quarterly results showed how more diversified regional banks can turn to their insurance sales, investment banking and other fee generators for backup until interest rates improve. Whereas the smaller Huntington Bancshares needed strong loan growth in a quarter (and year) when fees fell.

Stephen Steinour, the head of Huntington Bancshares, cited strong projected growth in auto sales and an improving housing market as good signs for the Midwestern bank's fortunes in 2015.

For better or worse, banking is a balancing act these days.

An Ohio County's tax lien sale of unpaid penalties and taxes on more than 1,000 properties resulted in more than $1.1 million.

A federal credit report accuracy study found that most consumers who previously reported an unresolved error on one of their three major credit reports believe that at least one piece of disputed information is still inaccurate.

Two Minnesota senators introduced a bill Tuesday to add language to the definition of "collector" and "collection agency" that includes debt buyers, a move that would require buyers to become licensed as collectors in the state.

U.S. banks are cutting off payday lenders' access to a database of account information used to evaluate potential borrowers as regulators seek to rein in abusive practices.

The FTC has issued a complaint against a Texas-based debt collection operation and its current and former principals for threatening consumers with false claims that unless they pay a debt, they will face legal action or wage garnishment.

The total balance of auto loans reached $975 billion in December, representing 33.2% of total outstanding non-mortgage consumer debt, according to the latest Equifax Inc. National Consumer Credit Trends Report.

A Tampa Bay, Fla. couple, harassed by Bank of America over their delinquent mortgage payments, recently won a $1 million default judgment in a collection lawsuit.

To help Spanish-speaking consumers understand their rights when dealing with debt collectors, the Federal Trade Commission has created a Spanish-language graphic novel, Cobradores de Deuda

The average loan size of new homes increased to $311,398 in December from $306,975 in November, according to a Mortgage Bankers Association survey.

A Maine Supreme Court justice has ordered the withdrawal of a public reprimand of a lawyer involved in a mortgage foreclosure scandal related to robo-signing documents.

The S&P/Experian Consumer Credit Default Indices, a measure of changes in consumer credit defaults, continued to show an increase in default rates through December, according to data released Tuesday by S&P Dow Jones Indices and Experian.

The FTC is sending more than $700,000 in refund checks to people who lost money in a "Rachel from Cardholder Services" scheme that promised to reduce the interest rate on consumers' credit cards for an upfront fee.

The Federal Trade Commission announced its largest-ever payday lending settlement on Friday, as two companies agreed to pay $21 million and waive another $285 million in charges that were never collected from customers.

VantageScore Solutions LLC announced Thursday that the results of a consumer survey found Millennials remain cautious about key life events years after the recession.

In a record Federal Trade Commission settlement involving payday lenders, two companies will pay $21 million to resolve charges that they violated the law by charging consumers undisclosed and inflated fees.

The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) Consumer Services Division announced this week that it has fined illegal payday lenders more than $280,000 in fines since 2013.