Consumer lending

State and federal regulators finally approved the Mississippi bank’s acquisitions of Ouachita Bancshares and Central Community after anti-laundering and CRA matters were resolved. BancorpSouth’s CEO says he may pursue more deals.

Any decline in home equity balances could be offset by higher demand for other types of consumer loans. The worry is that only borrowers with blemished credit will take out home equity loans, increasing banks’ risk.

Both in dollar and transaction volume, credit card use is growing at a faster pace than debit use. Much of the growth is coming from affluent consumers who value rewards like 2% cash back on purchases.

In a year of political upheaval and weak commercial credit growth, lenders sought to capitalize on an economic bright spot — consumer spending — by reviving the personal loan, allying with fintechs and exiting traditional business lines that no longer made sense.

The short-term loan industry is suddenly playing offense in Washington following Mick Mulvaney's appointment as acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.