The move comes about a year after rising delinquency levels prompted SBA to raise lender fees and tightened underwriting standards in its flagship 7(a) program.

House lawmakers modified a ban on big-money investors from purchasing single-family homes, broadening the exemptions for build-to-rent properties and eliminating requirements in a Senate version of the bill that affected investors divest their holdings.

The 90-day-plus delinquency rate on student loans hit 10.3% in the first quarter, and New York Fed researchers warn that a second wave of defaults could be coming. Evidence is mixed regarding the likely impact on other consumer-lending segments.

At an industry conference Tuesday, bankers said that an extended war with Iran will result in adverse economic conditions, including inflation.

As the Trump administration limits access to only U.S. citizens, volume in the Small Business Administration's flagship loan program is already trailing the 2025 pace. Experts predict that the tighter eligibility criteria will send more loans to nonbanks.

Delinquencies on credit-card debt mostly held steady at the end of last year, but certain groups of consumers are faring better than others.

American Banker's 2026 Predictions report finds that nonbank entities and check fraud are major threats to local banks in the coming months.

President Trump has nominated Stuart Levenbach, associate director of the Office of Management and Budget, to be the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. His selection allows acting CFPB Director Russell Vought to remain in place for at least another 210 days.

Top SBA lenders are warning about the impact of a prolonged shutdown. NewtekOne skipped providing fourth-quarter guidance after its CEO said the situation was too cloudy to forecast.

Bank of America has a playbook for government shutdowns, which includes providing fee and payment waivers as well as loan deferrals and forbearance programs, CEO Brian Moynihan said at the American Bankers Association's annual convention.

The San Francisco-based banking giant reported a 9% annual jump in quarterly profits. It also made official its appointment of CEO Charlie Scharf as chairman.

A number of banks experienced major increases in 7(a) lending activity during SBA's recently completed fiscal year, as program-wide loan volume topped $37 billion for the first time.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau received pointed pushback from banks in their public comments on a proposed rule that would slash the number of nonbanks being supervised in four key markets.

Orlando-based Cogent Bank has hired a team to finance single-tenant net lease properties, an asset class characterized by exceptional credit quality.

High interest rates and tough economic conditions played a role in the credit woes that overcame BayFirst Financial's small-dollar lending effort.

The securitization was also oversubscribed, with participation from more than 25 institutional investors, which will receive a blended fixed rate of 5.71%, the company said.

Complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have skyrocketed in the first half of 2025, due in part to an increase in payment scams generated by social media that target peer-to-peer payment platforms such as Zelle, Venmo and other apps.

A July pickup in activity is just a start, experts say. The banking industry's drive for scale and greater efficiency is expected to drive a renewed wave of consolidation, pushing the institution count lower.

The North Carolina-based regional bank still expects its revenue to outpace its spending this year, though if interest rates hold steady, it could "create some risk," a top executive said Friday.

Calls for applications for a bank-specific program within the Community Development Financial Institution Fund have been delayed, raising the possibility that those funds are unspent before the appropriated money expires.