Consumers borrowed less for a record eighth straight month in September amid rising unemployment and tight credit conditions.

Community bankers are responding coolly to the Obama administration's plan to free up small business lending, saying the programs unveiled last week involve unattractive government capital injections and mountains of paperwork.

Capital One, a large U.S. banking and credit card company, reported its first quarterly profit of the year on Thursday after slashing its marketing expenditure and paying less taxes.

American Express reported a profit that fell from a year ago but topped Wall Street's expectations as the credit card company trimmed costs, a decline in consumer spending stabilized and bad loans eased.

Most U.S. credit card companies reported defaults fell in September But delinquencies climbed at all major credit card issuers, suggesting bad loans will rise in coming months.

With a key Congressional committee  beginning markup of legislation creating a consumer financial products watchdog, the Federal Reserve's unusual role as a source of funds will likely draw attention.

Capital One Financial's U.S. credit-card defaults rose in September as more Americans lost their jobs, in another sign that consumers remain under stress.

Consumers are increasingly late paying off loans on their primary home, as the highest unemployment in a quarter of a century pushes up delinquency rates on most types of loans.

A combination of falling revenues, high debt and tougher lending standards by banks has pushed up dependence on alternative lenders in the UK.

The best mortgage rates are not necessarily offered by the big volume players or the bank where you currently do your checking. Instead, they can often be found at smaller banks and credit unions.

Bank of America on Tuesday pledged not to hike credit card interest rates or fees before a new law intended to reform industry practices takes effect in February.

Consumers will end up paying more money to banks if the numerous regulations proposed for the financial sector come to fruition, said Dick Bove, financial strategist for Rochdale Securities.

Banks and credit unions have long pitched debit cards as a convenient and prudent way to buy. But a growing number are now allowing consumers to exceed their balances — for a price.

The man accused of masterminding the largest identity theft in U.S. history agreed to plead guilty to related charges, according to court papers filed in Boston federal court Friday.

The rate at which credit card holders fell behind on their payments was far worse in the second quarter than it was last year, but did improve sharply from the alarming level seen in the first three months of 2009.