Jon Prior

Some observers said the central bank should have suspended dividends entirely in response to an unprecedented economic emergency caused by the pandemic. Others said its more cautious moves were appropriate because big banks' capital is strong and the economy could bounce back.

Lenders are cautioning not only that second-quarter provisions might exceed the spike seen earlier this year, but also that credit costs could be elevated into 2021 if the economic slowdown drags on or fears of a second coronavirus wave are borne out.

Even after the Fed eased some limitations in April to promote emergency lending, the bank has had to make some “tough choices” to heed the $1.95 trillion growth ceiling set by regulators in the aftermath of its phony-accounts scandal.

More details have emerged about the damage the coronavirus pandemic is inflicting on the hospitality industry. One servicer alone has received 2,000 workout requests in the past month.

With seven in 10 rooms sitting empty amid the coronavirus outbreak, hotel and banking groups are urging policymakers to open up the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility.

The Fed’s decision to cut its benchmark interest rate amid growing coronavirus concerns is bound to have an impact on banks, but just how broad and how deep remains to be seen.

No Republicans voted for the package of bills intended to overhaul the credit reporting system, casting doubt on its chances in the GOP-controlled Senate.

The largest bank in Puerto Rico said hundreds of millions of dollars of its mortgages and consumer loans are tied to the parts of the island hit by the recent quake or still recovering from two hurricanes.

The percentage of farm lenders losing money hit a six-year high in the third quarter, according to the FDIC.

So far farm loans are holding up well, but bankers gathered at an industry conference this week said they are growing increasingly concerned that credit quality will weaken if the U.S. and China don’t reach a deal soon.

Count Citizens Financial’s Bruce Van Saun among those who think interest rate cuts could halt by mid-2020. The key, he says, is to focus on delivering services customers are willing to pay fees for and to skillfully reprice deposits until then.

Banks are taking back more farmland through foreclosure than at any point in the past three years as low crop prices, epic flooding and the Trump administration’s trade spat with China have left many farmers struggling to pay their debts.

Seeking to expand financial services access, tribal officials and some firms want regulators to award Community Reinvestment Act credit to any bank that funds projects in Native American communities.

The company withdrew an earlier bid to become an ILC after regulators identified problems with its application. It is seeking a Nevada bank charter because it wants to add deposit management services and expand into small-business lending.

It’s hard to time the next economic slowdown. But lenders, many with lingering memories of the financial crisis, are taking steps now to limit exposure in commercial real estate, construction and other loan segments.

The bipartisan proposal aims to renew banks' interest in low-income housing tax credits and bring more lower-priced homes to markets that badly need them.

Lenders are turning to the Farm Service Agency to backstop more loans as their Midwestern customers are beset by flooding in addition to the U.S. trade war with China and volatile crop prices. Can the FSA meet the increased demand?

In a presentation Thursday, co-COO Gordon Smith expanded on Jamie Dimon's recent comments about frustrations in the mortgage market, was upbeat about branch profitability and discussed some of the bank's Chase Pay challenges.

Many banks have already scaled back home lending or even left the business. With profit margins shrinking, inventories of homes at crisis levels and competition from nonbanks intensifying, that’s unlikely to change.

Farmers were already taking on more debt to cover losses from falling crop prices. New tariffs and other retaliatory moves could hurt ag borrowers further and lead to loan losses and tighter underwriting.