Banking

The San Francisco bank joined Bank of America, U.S. Bancorp and Huntington Bancshares, which have previously introduced similar products. The Pew Charitable Trusts said the loans are a more affordable option for cash-strapped consumers than payday loans and overdraft fees.

A ballot initiative that places additional restrictions on debt collectors and decreases the interest rates that can be charged on medical debt passed Tuesday by an overwhelming margin. Consumer advocates say it will ease the burden on households dealing with hardship, but industry groups contend that it will make credit more expensive.

USAlliance Federal Credit Union in Rye, New York, has agreed to merge with Marriott Employees' Federal Credit Union in Bethesda, Maryland, to create a nearly $3 billion-asset organization.

The acquisition, which was originally expected to close at the end of last year, ultimately took more than 18 months to receive regulatory approval. It is now expected to close on Dec. 1.

Executives from PNC, Regions and M&T are expressing confidence that their loan books can withstand a recession. "We don't see crisis-type things in front of us right now," said PNC Chief Financial Officer Robert Reilly.

Delinquencies are on the rise for FHA-backed loans, with nearly 10% of low-credit borrowers in early payment default. Economists and policy experts say this could signal trouble ahead for other credit products.

Collins Community Credit Union in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, said Monday that it laid off 38 employees, primarily in its mortgage lending division. In September, GreenState Credit Union in North Liberty, Iowa, cut 42 employees, or about 5% of its workforce.

The addition of investment bank Capstone Partners and the wider geographic footprint that resulted from the acquisition of TCF Financial helped drive a 58% increase in net income during the third quarter.

Credit bureaus should know better than to include "impossible" data, such as someone defaulting on a loan before they were born, says Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra.

The Cleveland bank expects to lose about $25 million in fee income per quarter as a result of recent changes to its overdraft policies. CEO Chris Gorman said Key plans to compensate by expanding its customer base.