Lending

Using data aggregation subsidiary Finicity, the card network will allow its bank and credit union partners to offer installment loans directly to consumers, who can repay from checking and savings accounts.

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.

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.

With the COVID-19 pandemic creating unprecedented challenges for small businesses, American Express has increasingly targeted its investments in that niche.

The central bank will disclose information on a monthly basis about its Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility and its Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility.

The Federal Reserve also said in a supervisory report released Friday that it would conduct stress tests this quarter as planned, taking into account sudden deterioration in the economy brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

The FHFA will allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, for a limited time, to purchase loans for which the borrower has sought to postpone payments because of the economic effects of the coronavirus.

The central bank's sweeping actions suggest a cash shortage gripping sectors directly hit by the pandemic. Banks were supposed to be protected by Dodd-Frank but are still vulnerable to a funding domino effect.

Accommodations for borrowers affected by the coronavirus pandemic, such as payment delays and fee waivers, are "positive and proactive actions that can manage or mitigate adverse impacts," the regulators said.

The central bank said it was establishing the Commercial Paper Funding Facility to "support the flow of credit to households and businesses."