(New York)

Goldman has been trying intensely for the last few years to develop a much bigger consumer side of its business. The bank has debuted consumer savings products and tried to extend its reach into consumer products generally. Now, it might be take a huge step. The bank is reportedly in talks with Apple to provide point-of-sale financing to customers who are buying Apple’s products. The bank sees an opportunity to provide lower interest financing than credit cards, where most people charge such purchases. The deal is not closed, and could still fall apart.

FINSUM: There is a whole slew of interesting considerations here. For one, will using Goldman Sachs for financing hurt Apple’s image? Two, is Goldman trying to make a push into credit cards with this move?