Lending

With mortgage interest rates hovering above historic lows and competition fierce, home lenders are scratching and clawing for every loan they can close.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Making loans to startups is a risky business. But one credit union has introduced a new micro-loan program that it says leverages technology — and a small group of businesspeople — to increase the chance the new enterprise will succeed.

ONTARIO, Calif. — To help credit unions build their auto-lending portfolios in an increasingly competitive marketplace, CU Direct has formed the North American Automotive Marketing Council.

The home, the road and credit card rewards are some key areas CUs are zeroing in on as spring approaches.

After a winter of extreme weather in the Midwest, $2.4 billion Veridian Credit Union has set aside $3 million to offer disaster assistance loans to members who suffered property damage or other hardships.

WEST JORDAN, Utah — In what is being billed as an industry first, Mountain America Credit Union closed its first electronically signed FHA mortgages Monday under the Federal Housing Administration's new e-sign policy.

Senate Banking Committee leaders released their highly anticipated legislation to overhaul the mortgage finance market Sunday afternoon, after announcing they had reached agreement on a plan last week.

Record profits at agriculture-focused rural lenders could be coming to an end. Farm revenue is expected to decline sharply this year, and ag lenders are watching warily to see if this is a one-year blip or the start of a downturn.

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. — Many credit unions are missing out on auto lending opportunities because they're not engaging with their members early enough in the car-buying process.

One of the biggest opportunities in the auto market right now may not be in sales.

WASHINGTON — Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson and Sen. Mike Crapo, the panel's top Republican, laid out a preliminary bipartisan agreement Tuesday on housing finance reform after months of deliberation.

SEATTLE -- In this cycling crazy city, one credit union has created a loan program just for bike riders, and is asking local residents to send in photos of their favorite bicycles.

The mortgage market has failed to shift from refinances to purchases as anticipated, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's latest weekly report on applications.

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) said he will drop a bill called the "Credit Union Residential Lending Parity Act" in Congress this week that would offer some relief to credit unions pushing up against the member business loan cap.

U.S. households took on debt at a faster clip in the fourth quarter than at any time in seven years, but credit quality measures continued to improve, according to economic reports issued Tuesday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and other sources.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Space City CU here is giving Craigslist a run for its money with a new, free online auto marketplace for members.

The proposal to let the U.S. Postal Service become a bank is a hard sell, but the idea has legs for political, legal and business reasons. Here are answers to the top questions about the provocative idea.