Payments

The auto lender is selling its credit card business and halting new mortgage loans, abandoning its once-broader ambitions. Ally CEO touted the move as "the power of focus."

The e-commerce giant has added payment and credit products, though it faces heavy competition from banks and other tech firms. Also, Stripe's layoffs and other news from the world of payments.

The bank is among traditional financial institutions attempting to counter the gains rivals have made in buy now/pay later.

CEO Richard Fairbank told analysts executives have their "microscopes" out for any signs of trouble, but consumers remain "in a great place."

Industry players, regulators and law enforcement will need to work together in 2025 to ensure that as Americans increasingly rely on digital payments, the fraudsters trying to take advantage of them are kept at bay.

The enhanced fintech partnership would build merchant scale, and selling U.K. and U.S. portfolios would free up cash.

Wakefield, Massachusetts-based The Savings Bank named Raichelle Kallery as its president and CEO; Los Angeles-based Banc of California is donating $1M to launch a recovery fund in response to the wildfires devastating Southern California; Amazon agreed to acquire the Bengaluri-based fintech Axio; and more in this week's banking news roundup.

Cash App's parent company Block failed to investigate fraud and unauthorized transactions, and refused to refund customers, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said.