Underbanked

Even though innovative underwriting criteria can help more people get credit, the risks and potential harms of mining social media data to make loan decisions might just be too great.

The prospect of banks and credit unions meeting small-dollar loan demand is at risk under the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's restrictive proposal.

At the same time federal regulators are cracking down on payday loans, another form of short-term credit for low-income Americans is staging an unexpected comeback.

The Bank of England is among the central banks exploring possible uses of blockchain technology. In a recent speech, a BOE official noted how it would open access to central banks beyond commercial banks. "Everyone – including individuals – would be able to hold such balances," he said.

Fintech firms and banks should collaborate on using alternative data sources to qualify more borrowers for small-dollar loans.

Embracing technology that gives innovators access to their platforms will provide banks with the upgrade they sorely need.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposal could have included flexibility for banks to offer payday loan alternatives, but the plan misses the mark.

The prepaid card issuer issued conflicting statements in recent weeks as customers complained that they were unable to access their funds.

We need to adopt a more nuanced view of credit that considers not only the cost of credit, but also the cost of default and the cost of having no credit.

While existing state laws show that payday lending curbs lead to positive outcomes, those laws will still benefit from a strong Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will unveil sweeping federal regulations Thursday for payday lenders that could open the door for competition from banks, while forcing lenders to move toward longer-term installment loans. Here's what to track when the plan is released.

The idea that restricted access to loans for poor-credit borrowers is unequivocally a bad thing is based on industry talking points that don't stand up to real-world scrutiny.

TCF Financial in Minnesota has launched a set of products targeting low-income customers. The company, which has closed a fifth of its branches in recent years, hopes underbanked clients will boost traffic at its remaining locations.

Steve Streit retained his board seat Monday, but lost two allies, as a large shareholder indicated that it will continue pushing for his ouster.

Green Dot’s embattled founder and chief executive, Steve Streit, is expected to be reelected to the board based on preliminary voting results from its annual meeting, the company announced Monday.

One of the country's largest online lenders is cutting jobs and shelving expansion plans in response to investors' rapid retreat from the beleaguered sector.

Rep. Maxine Waters, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, introduced legislation Thursday to reform consumer credit reporting.

Users of the Walmart MoneyCard, issued by Green Dot, took to social media Wednesday to complain about problems they've encountered checking balances and accessing funds. The problems come at an inopportune time for Green Dot.

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.

Google should be applauded for deciding to ban payday loan-sponsored ads. But it should tweak some of the details so legitimate lenders can still advertise.