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.

Historically high interest rates and falling late-payment rates suggest that credit card issuers are tightening their underwriting standards amid economic uncertainty.

Community banks that could reel in cheap deposits while keeping a lid on expenses were able to outperform peers in 2024.

A revolving pool of Walmart-branded Mastercard accounts will support the deal, which presses ahead despite risks tied to U.S. tariff policy.

While consumer distress in auto and personal loans also picked up, the pace of growth among mortgages was atypical, Vantagescore's monthly credit gauge said.