Lending

Credit unions, banks, mortgage lenders and real estate brokerage firms are expected to win some relief soon from a provision of the qualified mortgage rule that restricts fees paid to affiliates.

MADISON, Wis. — Fourteen credit unions are testing a new auto-lending product aimed at serving the underserved.

WASHINGTON — Demand for loans by consumers and businesses grew in the first quarter, according to a Federal Reserve report released Wednesday.

WASHINGTON — Questions are being raised about whether Senate Banking Committee leaders will delay a pending vote on their mortgage finance reform bill as they struggle to secure additional votes.

Credit unions approved a slightly higher percentage of small business loans last month, as approval rates ticked up to 43.6% in March from 43.3% the previous month.

Graduate school financing with high balances are driving the overall growth of the nation's student-loan debt.

The payday loan business — loathed by some, misunderstood in others' eyes — stands on the verge of its biggest shake-up ever.

CHICAGO — It took five years, but consumers finally are making their mortgage payments before credit card payments, according to recent analysis from TransUnion.

Though the "Great Recession" may be over, its shadow haunts thousands of consumers whose credit scores took a hit due to job loss, missed payments or even a strategic default.

LAS VEGAS — Even in this beaten-down housing market some home owners actually have equity, meaning home equity loans — a lending category that largely was forgotten in the aftermath of the housing crisis — are coming back.

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.