The marijuana industry is still hampered by its own banking crisis, but the rigidity of federal laws is not stopping all advances in financial services for the sector.

It's easier than ever for consumers to take out personal loans to pay down high-cost debt or fund big-ticket purchases, and two new studies show that they are taking full advantage of their options.

Visa Inc., the world's largest payments network, said fiscal first-quarter profit rose 24 percent as consumer card spending increased.

Discover Financial Services reported a slowdown in growth in its credit card business but vowed to take steps to reverse the trend.

Capital One Financial's fourth-quarter profit fell short of projections as the McLean, Va., company boosted its reserves in anticipation of higher loan losses.

Visa has nabbed an executive from the media company Time Inc. to be its chief marketing and communications officer.

The Secured It Card requires a security deposit but also offers cash-back rewards and other perks normally associated with Discover's traditional cards.

The card issuer, buoyed by employment gains and its partnership with the megaretailer Amazon, is bullish on its growth prospects for 2016.

Bank chiefs should brace for a barrage of questions about economic uncertainty, if JPMorgan Chase's experience after releasing fourth-quarter results is any indication. Double-digit increases in loans and profits were not enough to stave off questions about the odds of recession, energy risks and adequacy of reserves.

Many emerging innovators want to incorporate digital advances into the incumbent financial services sphere, not necessarily leapfrog banks.