Two banking bills signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker carry implications for payday lenders, auto title lenders, credit unions and nonbank mortgage lenders. Pritzker, a Democrat, said the bills will address racial-equity gaps in the state.

Early in the pandemic, Michigan's Astera Credit Union realized that if it could not support touchless transactions, its members were likely to go elsewhere.

The legislation easily passed the House in 2019 but was never considered in the Senate. Observers see a more promising path forward this time.

The IRS, FDIC and more than 70 banks and credit unions are urging consumers to open affordable accounts so they can receive their Economic Impact Payments quickly and safely. Many people have signed up, but millions lack accounts and will be harder to serve.

Seven years after regulators issued guidance to financial institutions, a small Michigan credit union was ordered to stop opening new accounts for marijuana businesses.

With a steady stream of Senate hearings held on the racial wealth gap and inequities in the financial system, the new chairman has set a consumer-focused agenda that leans further left than even past Democratic chairs.

In its final days, the Trump administration imposed limits on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s holdings of mortgages with loan-to-value ratios above 90% and certain other characteristics. Critics say the changes were unnecessary and disproportionately penalize borrowers of color.

The legislation would extend the Paycheck Protection Program for two months and give the Small Business Administration more time to remedy persistent system glitches that have delayed the processing of thousands of loan applications.

Legislators expressed concerns that thousands of pending applications are stuck in limbo just weeks before the Small Business Administration is legally required to stop accepting them.

With national banks awaiting federal decisions on marijuana banking policy, smaller institutions can capitalize on local laws. That’s the theory Chicago Ventures is putting to the test with a $5 million investment in AeroPay, which banks with Partner Colorado Credit Union.