Polo Rocha is a Washington D.C.-based reporter who covers consumer finance and national banking trends. He previously covered the Federal Reserve at S&P Global Market Intelligence and state politics at WisPolitics.com. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is pursuing a master's in finance degree at Johns Hopkins University.
-
The payday loan industry is looking to extend its years-long legal fight with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It's planning to ask a federal appeals court to revisit a ruling that upheld a proposed limit on how often payday lenders can try to pull money from their customers' accounts.
By Polo RochaMay 17 -
Investors reacted negatively to New York Community Bancorp's divestiture of a $5 billion loan warehouse portfolio to JPMorgan Chase. The deal has triggered a debate about whether other banks might retreat from lending to nonbank home lenders.
By Polo RochaMay 15 -
The small business lender's bankrupt shell has agreed to pay up to $120 million in connection with allegations that its verification processes for Paycheck Protection Program loan applications were faulty. The government argued that Kabbage reaped larger fees by enabling fraudulently inflated loans.
By Polo RochaMay 14 -
Many banks got shares in the lucrative payments network when it went public in 2008. Some of them are now looking to sell in order to offset losses on their sales of underwater bonds.
By Polo RochaMay 9 -
The combination of two Pacific Northwest banks was supposed to create a regional powerhouse, but rising deposit costs have stung. CEO Clint Stein says he's "laser-focused" on making Columbia a top performer again.
By Polo RochaMay 3 -
The embattled Long Island bank unveiled a turnaround plan that involves selling noncore assets and diversifying its commercial loan book. But first, it will need to sort through credit-related challenges in its large commercial real estate portfolio.
By Polo RochaMay 1 -
After employees at a handful of Wells Fargo branches voted to unionize, CEO Charlie Scharf said the bank is "committed to bargaining in good faith" but also believes employees are "best served by working directly" with managers.
By Polo RochaApril 30 -
Liberty Bank in Salt Lake City had been "structurally unprofitable" since 2008, according to its regulators. Experts criticized the FDIC for allowing the bank's demise to play out in slow motion.
By Polo RochaApril 25 -
The store-branded card issuer is raising annual percentage rates and adding fees for paper statements to compensate for lost revenue. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new regulation is scheduled to take effect on May 14.
By Polo RochaApril 24 -
The Detroit-based company is exploring ways to make more consumer auto loans without running afoul of stricter capital standards that are expected from the Federal Reserve. Possible approaches include more securitizations and the use of credit risk transfers.
By Polo RochaApril 18