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Community banks are thriving. Bankers worry it won't last.

Dec 11, 2020
A recent FDIC report found that community bank profits rose last quarter, thanks to fee income from PPP loans and mortgage refinancing.
La Salle State Bank in Illinois outsourced management of its ATMs to save costs.
John Moore/Getty Images

Why commercial lending fell last quarter despite low interest rates

Dec 2, 2020
The report found that bank lending volume fell in the most recent quarter, driven by decreases in commercial and industrial lending.
Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images

Student loan debt adds to racial wealth disparities, research finds

The costs for Black borrowers to pursue a college have been growing exponentially.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Fed looks to overhaul laws meant to make sure lower-income Americans have access to loans

The law is meant to demand that when banks take deposits from a particular area, they also make loans there.
The Federal Reserve building in Washington, D.C.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

CFPB rolls back restrictions on payday lenders

Jul 9, 2020
Lenders will not have to verify whether borrowers have the ability to pay back high-interest loans
About 12 million Americans take out payday loans every year, mostly to cover necessities like rent or utilities.
EHStock via Getty Images

Citi plans to buy PPP loans from minority-owned lenders

May 21, 2020
The arrangement would allow minority-owned lenders to take PPP loans off of their balance sheets.
Citi says it will purchase $50 million in loans from minority-owned lenders.
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Fed announces $2.3 trillion in additional lending

Apr 9, 2020
The loans, to support American households, businesses and local governments, is part of the Main Street Lending Program authorized by the economic relief law.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

How bowling shoes help explain the repo market

Oct 9, 2019
It’s a wonky subject, but important. Arcades, power grids and plumbing systems also help make sense of it.
If you want to understand the repo market, think about renting shoes at a bowling alley.
Alexander Klein/AFP/GettyImages

As loans come due, farmers feel the financial squeeze

Mar 25, 2019
Some farmers are “quietly exiting” because they can’t make a profit.
Farmer Tom Giessel stands in front of a corn pile near Larned, Kansas. The corn was grown in 2017 and because of a market glut, it still hasn’t sold.
Peggy Lowe/KCUR

Auto loan delinquencies rise for younger drivers

Feb 14, 2019
New car sales have been high for the past few years, and that means there are a lot more car loans out there. There are a lot more delinquent ones, too. According to a report from the New York Federal Reserve, 7 million borrowers are at least 90 days late on their payments, the highest […]
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