Consumer lending

The CEOs of the credit card lenders Discover and Synchrony are urging Congress to come through with another round of government stimulus so that struggling households can continue paying their bills.

A new study from WalletHub finds nealry 40% of parents are planning to spend less in advance of the upcoming academic year.

Finding loan forgiveness programs and keep-the-change loan paydowns are examples of services startups like Savi, Summer and FutureFuel.io are offering banks to help borrowers manage their monthly payments.

Other regionals set more aside for loan losses than the Cleveland bank did in the second quarter, and its ratio of reserves to total loans is slightly lower, too. But Key executives say the portfolio is balanced and holding up well despite the pandemic’s economic toll.

Delinquencies have been ticking up since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and Capital One is warning of more pain unless the government provides additional relief to tenants and landlords.

Banking and credit reporting groups say such an agency could politicize the reporting process. Consumer groups say it would offer consumers a necessary alternative.

On Mar. 31, 2020. Dollars in thousands.

On Mar. 31, 2020. Dollars in thousands.

The streak of strong gains for new members was flagging by the end of 2019 and has only worsened since then.

Trump-appointed regulators gave the industry the green light to offer installment loans during the pandemic. But with concerns that the light could turn red in 2021, bankers remain extra cautious.

Wells Fargo buys $14B of delinquent mortgages tied to pandemic; CFPB launches investigation of Quicken Loans real estate affiliate Rocket Homes Real Estate; Truist accelerates cost-cutting plans; and more from this week’s most-read stories.

Some 60% of Ally’s auto originations in the second quarter were used-vehicle loans, the highest percentage in the company's history.

The coronavirus relief law allows forbearance plans for up to a year on federally backed mortgages, but House Democrats say homeowners have had difficulty getting relief.

The Pittsburgh bank says fewer borrowers are asking for help and that many borrowers who received assistance are making payments again. But with the coronavirus pandemic still raging in much of the country, CEO William Demchak and other bankers are tempering their optimism.

Net charge-offs fell at Citigroup and Wells Fargo, thanks to forbearance and federal stimulus. Leaders of those banks are warning that delinquencies could rise once the benefits of those programs wear off.

Consumers now have more control over their own financial decisions and loan options.

The Australian firm, best known for financing online purchases, is rolling out interest-free, point-of-sale loans at cash registers that it says could help U.S. merchants boost flagging sales.

The amount far surpassed that of any other servicer required to purchase Ginnie Mae-backed loans that were 90 days past due.

There will be lasting consequences for financial institutions that choose short-term protections for their bottom line over the economic security of the consumers they serve.

A subprime-related settlement between the government and Deutsche Bank provided meaningful benefits to some U.S. consumers in need, according to a new report. But the author acknowledged that those gains could prove illusory for some consumers given the coronavirus crisis.