Financial institutions

Ocwen Financial has approximately $749 million of liquidity from various sources to deal with servicing issues arising from the coronavirus, a company press release said.

The change — effective immediately — will reduce capital demands by about 2% overall, the Fed estimated, and will be open for a 45-day comment period.

After budget cuts and a strategic transition, the interagency body conceived by Dodd-Frank to identify systemic threats has largely been silent as the pandemic roils the economy.

Mortgage servicers need direction from federal agencies on how to implement the forbearance plans called for in the CARES Act, according to the Community Home Lenders Association.

Draw-downs on C&I credit more than quadrupled in a seven-day period ended March 25. Lenders may try to rein them in if the crisis drags out, but legal precedent isn’t on their side.

Refinancing activity is surging, existing borrowers are inquiring about loan modifications, loan closings are being delayed by more complex credit checks — and banks are short on people to handle it all.

In signing off on deposit insurance for the payments giant and student loan servicer, the FDIC sanctioned the first new industrial loan companies in over a decade.

If banks are unable to weather the economic fallout from the outbreak, calls for more dramatic reforms could get louder.

GreatAmerica Financial in Iowa is looking to form a bank so it can offer more products to small and midsize companies.

Banks may be protected from a direct hit, but they have invested in vehicles that include such loans, potentially exposing them to defaults.