Kate Berry

How to reconfigure retail-delivery networks to suit the next generation of customers was top of mind for bank CEOs Tuesday, even as news headlines dwell on new regulations and sluggish growth.

The regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on Monday directed the two housing finance giants to raise fees for all loans in an effort to bring private capital back into the mortgage market and better reflect the credit risks of borrowers.

Many borrowers who took out home equity lines of credit could soon be facing steep increases in their monthly payments, perhaps setting the stage for a fresh round of mortgage delinquencies, according to a new report from Lender Processing Services.

They are inching closer to complying with the $25 billion national settlement but the latest report from monitor Joseph Smith has found that there is still a little more work to be done.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is a rare government agency that funds private enforcement of its own regulations. It does so via its Fair Housing Initiatives Program, which offers grants to nonprofits to carry out the work.

The National Fair Housing Alliance's claims that banks have failed to maintain homes in minority neighborhoods are based on shaky factual and legal ground. However, alliances between the nonprofit and its allies in government may leave bankers with little choice but to settle.

The National Fair Housing Alliance has accused big banks of discriminating against minorities in the upkeep of foreclosed properties and is seeking millions in settlements — mostly for itself. Behind its demands are faulty data and grants overseen by a federal official with close ties to the group.

Simone Lagomarsino has helped turn around a lot of banks, but she'd never seen one in such bad shape. Yet in a phenomenally short amount of time, Lagomarsino has righted the ship at Heritage Oaks Bancorp.

Though bankers generally applauded the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's final rule on mortgage disclosures, they are raising concerns that some of the changes need to be fixed or they'll have no choice but to assess higher fees at the closing.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a much-anticipated final rule that merged mortgage disclosure forms in an effort to help consumers more clearly understand the total costs of a loan.

Banks may never be able to restore their reputations after the financial meltdown, the director of the "Wall Street" movies told a Commercial Finance Association gathering. Surely the association wasn't expecting a pep talk.

The CFPB is calling the two new mortgage forms "Know Before You Owe," an apt description since a hodge-podge of federal mortgage disclosures that the new forms will replace have long been considered duplicative and confusing.

Nationstar, Ocwen and Walter Investment picked a tough time to make an aggressive push into mortgage lending, but their efforts could pay off once new mortgage rules kick in.

Safeguard Properties on Tuesday filed a motion to dismiss a fraud complaint by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan that seeks to bar the Cleveland property inspection company from doing business in Illinois because inspectors broke into occupied homes.

Concern is mounting that Nationstar, Ocwen Financial and Walter Investment are getting so big so quickly that they are becoming too difficult to manage and should consider tapping the brakes on acquisitions.

The Mortgage Bankers Association on Tuesday said it expects residential mortgage originations to drop 32% next year, to $1.2 trillion, due to a continued decline in refinancing activity.

Efforts to revive the private-label mortgage-backed securities market were dealt a blow Tuesday when Shellpoint Partners, the firm backed by the mortgage-bond pioneer Lewis Ranieri, said it would withdraw a proposed securitization and instead sell its jumbo loans to the highest bidder.

The cost to originate a home loan is skyrocketing as lenders try to comply with stricter rules to catch problem loans. Technology would better automate the loan process, but can small lenders justify the investment?

JPMorgan Chase's record $13 billion settlement has significant implications for the financial industry, but they may not be what casual observers expect. Following is a guide to the key takeaways from the deal.

Bank of America posted strong revenue growth in the same quarter its big rivals showed weakness on bread-and-butter banking. But concerns about its higher litigation expenses overshadowed the good news.