Consumer lending

Recent reports highlight the question of how much wage growth can do to sustain loan performance as pandemic relief gets rolled back, consumer costs rise and the housing market cools.

The pandemic-era freeze on student debt payments has "dramatically" improved credit scores for Americans who borrowed money to pay for college, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said.

Late-payment rates are rising at nonbanks that lend to people with lower credit scores. "We're probably entering a stretch where you're going to see a separation between those that are relatively good underwriters and those that are not," one analyst said.

Equifax said some consumer credit scores were changed because of a computer error that has since been rectified.

Even though delinquency rates were previously at extremely low levels, the recent uptick among poorer consumers is worth monitoring, New York Fed researchers said.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said “time is running out” for military student loan borrowers to obtain debt relief under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

Bank of America is keeping to its original hiring plans despite challenging economic conditions that have prompted others to pull back, Chief Executive Brian Moynihan said.

The firm’s latest offering to solidify its fintech bona fides touts 10-minute applications and funds up to $50K delivered within hours.

JPMorgan Chase is laying off hundreds of home-lending employees and reassigning hundreds more this week as rapidly rising mortgage rates drive down demand in what had been a red-hot housing market.

The American Bankers Association’s credit conditions index fell sharply, as economists foresaw dampening loan demand. The weaker outlook lines up with major bank CEOs’ increased worries over a possible recession.

The system may be good for the banks that own it, but it is not meeting its public mission.

Companies that use artificial intelligence or machine learning in their loan decisions are legally required to provide a specific explanation when applications get denied, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said in a policy statement.

The bureau’s new office of competition and innovation will promote competition, host events and seek to make it easier for consumers to switch financial providers.

A 2019 state law limits annual interest rates on many loans to 36%, but some high-cost lenders have found a way to continue operating in California by partnering with banks. Now Democratic legislators want the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to take action.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra is pushing the envelope of the bureau's power and jurisdiction in untested ways. More companies are disputing the CFPB’s allegations, refusing to pay large fines or admit wrongdoing, and vowing to defend themselves in court. 

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed more actions against redlining and discriminatory practices in 2021 and is skeptical that that predictive analytics will reduce bias.

During the pandemic, consumer lenders have found it easier to collect payments because the federal student loan moratorium has made many borrowers more liquid. A plan for blanket forgiveness reportedly under consideration by President Biden could sustain that trend.

Bankers object to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's request on “exploitative junk fees” that produce billions in income for financial institutions, arguing that banks are compliant with statutes that require fees be disclosed to customers.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will conduct supervisory exams of nonbank fintech companies that pose risks to consumers as Director Rohit Chopra seeks to level the regulatory playing field with supervised banks.

Questionnaires sent to banks in recent months seek information about loans to same-sex couples, women on maternity leave and people with limited English proficiency. Industry executives and attorneys say the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau may be offering hints about specific types of fair-lending cases it could pursue.