Credit quality

Recent studies offer a dire outlook for water levels in drought-prone states. Some banks are bracing for this risk with changes to underwriting of real-estate-related loans.

Lenders insist they will be able to ramp up commercial loans and mortgage refinancings without skimping on underwriting.

People’s United offered 30% more in the summer of 2018 for United Financial than it agreed to pay in a deal announced last month. What followed the initial talks is a textbook lesson in the impact of indecision and the unexpected in bank M&A.

The Michigan company disclosed that an unnamed client made a large payment on a $6.5 million nonperforming loan.

The Upstart Network, the first and only startup to participate in the bureau’s program for promising digital platforms, claims that using nontraditional credit data items has helped loan volume and affordability.

It’s hard to time the next economic slowdown. But lenders, many with lingering memories of the financial crisis, are taking steps now to limit exposure in commercial real estate, construction and other loan segments.

A fight between Democrats and Republicans over a proposal to let the SBA’s Office of Advocacy challenge rulings made by other government agencies is threatening to hold up funding for small-business loan guarantees.

JPMorgan Chase ends business loan partnership with OnDeck; Truist out to prove it can best the megabanks in tech; Capital One's data breach was bad, but it could've been worse; and more from this week's most-read stories.

Credit quality is being second-guessed after several banks reported higher 2Q charge-offs.

After rising between 2016 and 2018, the card issuer's charge-off rates are now steady. The trend reflects both the impact of tighter underwriting standards and the continued resilience of U.S. consumers.