The Consumer Finance Association (CFA), which represents the mainloan companies, says the industry's new code of practice has brought in more robust affordability tests and increased transparency about charges.
UniCredit's fourth-quarter net profit fell 65% but beat analysts' expectations, as the bank kept a grip on costs, wrote off fewer loan losses and recorded stable income in its main business.
There is probably little the government can do, since it has already put in the main fixes that it has available: massive fiscal boosts, public money for the banks and emergency loan guarantees for small companies.
The main reason for this hope appears to be that in 1991 Mr Bush's father threatened to suspend loan guarantees to Israel over the issue of illegal settlements.