Consumer lending

The top five lenders have an average total origination volume of more than $9 billion through June 30, 2023.

JPMorgan Chase now tops Wells Fargo in third-party servicing, origination volume and on-balance-sheet home loans, according to company filings.

Amplify Credit Union in Austin provided funding for the construction of 28 tiny homes to create more affordable housing in Round Rock, Texas. Several banks had previously shot down the project.

The San Antonio-based lender is introducing new products targeted at borrowers who make less than 80% of their county's median income. The loans, which will qualify for Community Reinvestment Act credit, could help expand access to the state's increasingly expensive housing market.

The combination of inflation and rising interest rates over the last 18 months has made it more difficult for Americans to stay on top of their loan payments, especially on credit cards and auto loans.

Georgia United Credit Union is collaborating with the income-verification fintech Argyle to combat submissions of false documents and other crimes.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said it would determine whether its victims' relief fund could be used to make payments to affected consumers because companies that agreed to settle allegations of illegal telemarketing practices are insolvent.

Home-purchase applications fell to the lowest level in a generation last week — and demand may be depressed even further when the pandemic-era freeze on student debt ends in October, according to a poll conducted by Pulsenomics LLC among more than 100 housing experts. 

Banking and credit union regulators encouraged compassionate treatment of customers in Hawaii communities hit by wildfires. They also vowed to grant expedited approvals of temporary banking facilities, be flexible in compliance matters and provide other support to financial institutions.

But mortgage numbers remain historically very low and fall short of pre-pandemic levels, according to VantageScore's latest monthly report.

Several community banks noted an uptick in problem loans in second-quarter earnings reports. Small lenders should brace for more of this, industry observers noted.

Over 111,000 distressed mortgage holders opted into a loan modification program during the COVID-19 pandemic by using a designated digital platform or app, according to Black Knight.

Americans are so desperate to break free from credit card, mortgage and auto loan debt that they'd resort to dangerous deeds, a survey by Beyond Finance found.

Ally, Truist, Citizens and SoFi are among the banks that offer student loan repayment benefits. The recent Supreme Court decision striking down President Biden's loan forgiveness plan could give a leg up to companies that provide such assistance to their employees.

The Mortgage Bankers Association attributes this to muted demand for home purchases and companies trimming their operations.

Adjusted for inflation, consumer spending has largely stalled after surging at the start of the year. Delinquency rates, meanwhile, are ticking up. 

After a Supreme Court ruling, forgiveness for education debt looks unlikely but some of those exiting forbearance for it get a year-long break on credit and fees that could be helpful.

Twenty lenders from across the country are participating in Underwriting for Racial Justice, a collaborative effort to develop new criteria that will enable marginalized borrowers to gain access to credit.

As President Biden tries to revive a key campaign promise to provide widespread debt relief to student-loan borrowers after a Supreme Court setback, legal experts warn that he's likely to encounter a fresh wave of lawsuits challenging his authority to act without congressional approval.

Rising interest rates on loans, greater borrowing and higher fees on deposit accounts all contributed to the increase. "Altogether, this paints a picture of debt that could really start to strain the checkbooks of American families," said Meghan Greene, a researcher at the nonprofit organization that authored the report.