Small business

Huntington Bancshares in Columbus, Ohio, is significantly raising the ante in philanthropic and community development investments connected to its planned acquisition of FirstMerit.

HomeStreet in Seattle has raised $65 million from issuing senior debt. The $4.8 billion-asset company said in a press release Friday that the proceeds from the offering with support growth and other general corporate purposes.

Banks and nonbanks should accept that more fintech regulation is inevitable, but how far regulators go will depend in part on how well companies demonstrate they are managing risk.

Severn Bancorp in Annapolis, Md., has partially redeemed outstanding shares tied to the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

California Bank of Commerce in Lafayette has raised $9 million to help it exit the Small Business Lending Fund.

A new Labor Department regulation designed to make more American workers eligible for overtime pay stands to add costs and slow hiring at community banks.

The financial services sector would benefit from companies — banks included — submitting dedicated disclosures on the impact of climate change.

A study commissioned by the Massachusetts Bankers Association found a correlation between a spike in credit unions with low-income designations and an increase in member business lending in the state.

Synchrony Financial, the credit card lender that was recently spun off from General Electric, is considering an expansion into small-business lending.

Harmony Bank in Jackson, N.J., has exited the Small Business Lending Fund. The $ 295 million-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that it paid about $3.5 million to redeem roughly 3,500 shares of preferred stock.

Say what you will about these companies' longevity, were it not for the likes of Lending Club you wouldn't see banks like Wells Fargo introducing expedited loan products.

First Connecticut Bancorp in Farmington has committed to making $5 million in small-business loans over the next year.

If alternative small-business lenders don't get engaged in the regulatory dialogue, they risk letting a few bad apples determine their fate.

It is imperative for regulators and lawmakers to approach the online small business loan market with care and an understanding of how these lenders expand access to credit.

State Bank Financial in Atlanta just hired a lending team that will take its SBA lending operation to the next level. The moves comes as the SBA reports a record number of 7(a) loans.

The hits that alternative lenders like OnDeck Capital are taking shouldn't be a surprise for an industry built on unsustainable business models.

Small-business optimism has slipped slightly on concerns about growth prospects and the presidential election campaign, according to a Wells Fargo and Gallup survey conducted in early April.

Some buyers are hanging in there, but as OnDeck Capital's disappointing first-quarter results show, investors who acquire and securitize marketplace loans are heading for hills. Among the reasons: fear of defaults, unfavorable pricing and shrinking loan yields.

As banks nationwide trim their branch personnel, they must also make sure the remaining staff in their brick-and-mortar stores know what they are doing.

OnDeck Capital reported a quarterly loss of $12.6 million as revenues fell short of expectations. At the same time, the New York firm sharply reduced its earnings projection for the rest of the year.