Payments

Like other card issuers, the Stamford, Conn., company expects current trends — soft loan demand but strong credit quality — to reverse later this year as the economy emerges from the pandemic-induced recession.

U.S. credit card delinquencies reached record-low levels in 2020, as Americans took advantage of stimulus checks and adjusted their spending habits, according to a new report.

U.S. consumer borrowing rose in October by less than forecast, reflecting a decline in credit card balances as the pandemic continued to limit some purchases.

Wells Fargo is exploring selling a unit offering store-branded credit cards as the bank chooses businesses to keep or break off in a broad strategic overhaul, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Payment rates for auto lenders and credit card issuers have remained strong despite a spike in unemployment. Whether these trends continue into 2021 will depend largely on the actions of Congress and the pace of medical advances.

Lenders have spent months puzzled by the persistently low delinquencies on their credit cards. Now, they’re seizing the moment.

The performance of U.S. credit card securitizations is continuing to improve, according to Fitch Ratings, but the asset class's ongoing health will depend significantly on what emerges from political squabbles in Washington, D.C.

American Express Co. is acquiring the teams and technology behind the online lender Kabbage Inc. as the credit-card giant seeks to provide more loans and other services to small-business owners.

Credit card balances declined most sharply as consumers cut back their spending due to the coronavirus pandemic and associated shutdown orders, the New York Fed said Thursday. But delinquencies also fell across all debt categories, thanks to government and lender relief efforts.

The CEOs of the credit card lenders Discover and Synchrony are urging Congress to come through with another round of government stimulus so that struggling households can continue paying their bills.

Despite declining payment rates and increased economic pains on borrowers, prime credit-card and retail account issuers have been able to maneuver around COVID-19 stresses with little impact on servicing their accounts held in securitized portfolios.

The race to provide coronavirus relief for small businesses is opening new routes to fund payments, including underused credit lines.

Since March, issuers have tightened their criteria for opening new accounts and closed millions of existing ones in hopes of avoiding waves of defaults.

Credit inquiries for auto lending, revolving credit cards and mortgages fell sharply in March as unemployment surged, according to a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report.

Discover and Sallie Mae are the latest to report a surge in forbearance requests as households struggle with job loss and other hardships resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

Discover is the latest card lender to say it's reining in credit lines as the coronavirus pandemic leaves millions of Americans jobless and struggling to keep up on loans.

The lender behind the credit cards for Gap, J.C. Penney and other retailers took a large provision for loan losses and abandoned full-year earnings guidance as the nationwide shutdowns tied to the coronavirus pandemic have led to a sharp decline in spending on its cards.

Five Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee sent a letter to Director Kathy Kraninger calling the agency's response to COVID-19 “tepid and ineffectual at best.”

The agency has relaxed some reporting requirements and joined other regulators in encouraging banks to help borrowers, but pressure is building on the bureau to do more to aid consumers suffering financial hardship.

The company once again lowered its outlook for quarterly revenue growth, saying the coronavirus pandemic has led to a sharp decline in cardholders’ overseas spending.