Online lenders now have close to 40% of the unsecured personal loan market, much of which is refinanced credit card debt. Banks' card portfolios are taking a hit.

It’s no coincidence that with more than half of consumers ages 20 to 29 now holding credit cards — up from 41% in 2012 — 90-day delinquency rates are at a seven-year high, according to the New York Fed.

Measures of loan performance were generally better than expected at Ally, American Express, Synchrony and Sallie Mae. Their 1Q reports suggest that consumers remain able to meet their obligations despite a long run-up in debt.

More consumers were late in paying two major types of loans in the latest figures from the American Bankers Association, but it appears to be a relatively isolated problem.

The upstart lenders have been chipping away at credit cards’ consumer-lending dominance by offering fixed-rate loans with predictable repayment plans. Now the card giants are fighting back.

The foray into digital consumer lending follows a similar move by rival Citigroup.

The move, reported by The Wall Street Journal, could be part of a deeper foray into cobranded cards by Goldman, which has been expanding into consumer finance through its Marcus unit.

While student, auto and credit card balances are at or near record levels, housing debt is shrinking, credit quality is weakening a bit and lending standards, at least in some sectors, are tightening.

In selling its Walmart credit card portfolio to Capital One and extending a partnership with Sam’s Club that appeared to be in peril, Synchrony Financial avoids an expensive legal battle with the world’s largest retailer.

As part of the agreement with HSN, Synchrony has also extended its partnerships with HSN affiliates QVC and the e-commerce site Zulily.

Margaret Keane discussed Synchrony's investments in technology, including how the card issuer plans to use customer data to help retailers create targeted ads, during an appearance Tuesday in New York,

Citigroup spent years reeling in customers with promotional rates, many of which have expired or soon will. The bank thinks it can keep a large number of those customers and make more money off of them.

Rising wages and savings rates resulted in a decline in past-due payments in the second quarter, the American Bankers Association said in its quarterly report on delinquency trends in consumer lending.

The Stamford, Conn., issuer of store credit cards has two potential options after the retail giant chose to partner with Capital One. But the decision over which path to take is out of its hands.

Bank of America’s consumer loans grew a lot. But its rivals? Not so much. The mixed results raise questions about whether BofA’s performance is a leading or trailing indicator, and if credit quality is going to be more of a problem industrywide.

American Express prevailed Monday in an eight-year antitrust battle with the government. Here’s a look at how other card networks, banks, retailers and consumers will be affected.

Dark clouds may not yet be on the horizon, but industry executives are sending the message to investors that they know a turn in the credit cycle is coming, and they are planning accordingly.

It’s not just weaker underwriting and higher household debt levels that are driving past-due rates to their highest levels in seven years.

The post-recession boom in auto loans and credit cards for borrowers with marred credit histories has been winding down in recent months.

David Nelms said that many digital lenders do not understand how to underwrite personal loans properly, and he took a dig at their lack of profitability. The upstarts say their industry's ability to attract capital speaks for itself.