Economy

Risk is building in nonbank companies that are closely linked with regulated institutions but that have not faced the kind of stiff rules imposed on banks since the financial crisis.

Three-fourths of House lawmakers signed a bipartisan letter that calls on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to take more steps to carve out community banks and credit unions from onerous regulations. But will it make a difference?

As merchants prepared to swap out their aging magstripe terminals for modern EMV card readers, acquirers hoped that this widespread demand for equipment would flood ISOs with revenue. But instead, some are finding EMV simply added to their expenses.

Since the financial crisis, there has been a consensus that bankers need to repair their corporate cultures in order to fix the reputation damage during the housing collapse. But some bankers are saying it needs to be a more coordinated effort.

We are reminded frequently that policies with the best intentions often do not reach their intended recipients and at times lead to previously unforeseen issues.

Prosper Marketplace on Monday announced a three-year agreement to offer financing to consumers making improvements to their homes through the website HomeAdvisor.com.

Bluetooth beacons — small nightlight-sized devices that can communicate with a mobile app as shoppers move throughout a store — may have the same potential for bank branches as they do for mega-retailers like Target Corp.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac gave $186 million to the National Housing Trust Fund, their first such contributions to a fund designed to provide construction and rehabilitation of rental housing for low-income families.

Berkshire Hills Bancorp in Massachusetts invested in technology to beef up its small-business lending, an area ripe for the picking by alternative lenders.

The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco is exploring ways to use $40 million it received as part of a private-label securities settlement to support small-business development and job creation to help future homebuyers.

The international panel issued a consultative document outlining suggested updates to its so-called Pillar III disclosure rules, including simple and comparable metrics for market risk, counterparty credit risk, operational risk and Total Loss Absorbing Capacity.

United Security Bancshares in Thomasville, Ala., has agreed to buy a three-acre parcel near Birmingham, Ala., for a new executive office and retail branch.

Ray Grace, North Carolina's banking commissioner, believes federal bank regulators should embrace charters for banks dedicated to innovation. Doing so, he said, would help the banking industry secure its spot as a "laboratory for change."

Nothing accelerates innovation quite like a new car. But before consumers can outfit their vehicles with James Bond gadgetry, they need a way to pay for it all from behind the wheel.

Traditional financial institutions are often seen as the outdated rival to new disruptors, but the idea that a bank can't be a marketplace lender, and vice versa, is a myth.

Startups, including one in the virtual currency field, have approached the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency about applying for banking charters, the agency's chief counsel said Thursday.

Foreign banks including HSBC and Deutsche Bank are pushing back against the Federal Reserve's proposals on implementing rules designed to end too-big-to-fail, saying they are burdensome and unfair to the U.S. units of the world's biggest lenders.

Square is "betting big on Near Field Communication," but not to the point the company would consider bringing back its own Square Wallet app, CEO Jack Dorsey says.

A mature governance framework and risk culture that reaches all employees are among the attributes of a high-functioning "risk organization."

Hillary Clinton said she would consult with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., on any choice for Treasury secretary.