Jim Dobbs

As revenue-starved retailers fall further behind on rent payments, landlords' cash flow will be strained, and defaults on commercial real estate loans could rise.

Banks could end up holding many low-rate Paycheck Protection Program loans on their books for two years, and dealing with irate borrowers who failed to meet federal requirements for forgiveness.

Lenders that scrambled to grant forbearance as the coronavirus pandemic took hold are unsure about the extent of potential losses.

By helping borrowers now, banks hope customers can quickly catch up on payments once the coronavirus pandemic ends. If they can’t, interest income will remain low and charge-offs could pile up if the crisis drags on.

Commercial real estate lenders have to consider not only how they’ll weather the COVID-19 downturn, but whether worker and consumer habits have changed for good.

Compliance, risk management and staffing will likely come under added scrutiny as regulators lay out a framework for future fintech-bank mergers.

Regulators are alarmed about banks' rising exposure to high-risk corporate credits and want more data on how they would perform in a recession.

Mortgages, auto loans and credit cards should perform well for the next two quarters. Beyond that, all bets are off.

Though details of a potential pact with China aren't clear, bankers are hoping it could convince leery customers to finally go through with delayed investments.