Banking

The relatively low share of borrowers who were distressed in June adds to signs that the offramp from government relief measures may not lead to an overwhelming wave of foreclosures.

Comerica, which focuses on the energy sector, reported strong payment trends last quarter, while M&T, which concentrates more on real estate, showed deterioration. The divergence reflects varying exposures to sectors hit hard by the COVID-19 recession.

The Detroit company, one of the nation's largest car lenders, enjoyed a surge in profits during the second quarter, largely due to strong consumer demand for vehicles. But how long will the good times last?

Consumers are booking rooms at levels not seen since early 2020 and loan delinquencies have fallen sharply as a result. Still, business travel remains sluggish and new COVID variants are spreading, threatening the hotel industry’s recovery.

Income share agreements, which allow college graduates to repay tuition financing as a percentage of their future income, have come under fire lately from consumer advocates for questionable marketing and other potential legal violations. Some hope a partnership between a Virginia bank and an ISA provider will give the product more legitimacy, while others worry it just masks risks for borrowers.

The Spanish bank’s U.S. holding company said it will pay a premium to purchase the publicly traded shares in Santander Consumer Holdings. The proposal is subject to the approval of the auto lender’s board of directors.

The number of grievances about evictions and federal student loans declined between January 2020 and May 2021. Nonetheless, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned financial firms that poor customer service can undermine government efforts to provide aid.

A congressional resolution that invalidates the regulation issued last fall by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency would help regulators crack down on so-called rent-a-bank schemes that promote predatory lending, the president said before signing the measure.

Kikoff, whose investors include Golden State Warriors' star Stephen Curry, provides applicants with a no-fee $500 revolving line of credit they can use to purchase personal finance books and courses from its online store. The company then reports this payment activity to some credit bureaus.

Goldman Sachs Group hunts for a new office campus in Dallas that could become the Wall Street bank’s largest U.S. presence outside of Manhattan headquarters.

Democrats are pushing for a public-sector alternative to the three main credit bureaus, but Republicans argue that the government is ill-equipped to safely handle consumer data and produce accurate reports.

Growing CRE mortgage volumes raised the bar for the coming year despite lingering concerns, according to the CRE Finance Council.

The fintech specializes in lending to dentists, veterinarians and other solo providers looking to grow or establish their own practice.

Cannabis, though still illegal at the federal level, continues to inch into the financial mainstream. Small credit unions and lenders as large as Valley National and East West have moved beyond just taking deposits from marijuana companies.

A growing number of companies like Klarna, Sezzle and Circle let consumers split large purchases into smaller transactions paid over time. But they say they need to offer more than one product to set themselves apart and build customer loyalty.

Executives at Citizens Financial and Regions Financial said they plan to make policy changes that will reduce their reliance on the controversial but already dwindling charges.

Fears of widespread credit losses have largely subsided, but demand for new commercial real estate loans remains lackluster because many companies are sitting on so much cash they don’t need to borrow. Meanwhile, competition from private equity groups and other nonbank lenders is escalating.

Meanwhile, National MI has been increasing its new insurance written by slightly widening its credit standards.

The deal for the Salt Lake City-based home improvement lender, which Home Depot tried to acquire more than a decade ago, is part of a larger effort by Regions Financial to diversify its home lending business.

But March's overall late payment rate was 1.3 percentage points higher than one year ago, while the 90-day-plus rate was 2.3 percentage points higher.