A new refinance mortgage offered by SoFi and Fannie Mae lets consumers tap into their home equity to pay down student loan debt at terms more favorable than a traditional cash-out refi.

Consumer compliance was already an important issue for regulators who vet bank deals, but it is expected to move up on their priority list after Wells' phony-account saga. Banks that seek M&A approvals should make sure their cross-sale and incentives policies — along with those of their targets — are bulletproof.

The former chairman of the failed Premier Bank in Wilmette, Ill., was sentenced to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to defrauding the Treasury Department's Troubled Asset Relief Program.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the New York Attorney General filed a lawsuit Wednesday against two New York debt collectors for deceiving and harassing millions of consumers to pay inflated debts.

If modified, the cybersecurity standards in New York State are a step in the right direction to protect banks and consumers.

Freddie Mac's credit risk transfers come with a hefty price tag, but are ultimately still worth it, according to Chief Executive Don Layton.

Some former customers of First Niagara Bank in Buffalo, N.Y., which was bought by KeyCorp last month, will receive up to $22 million in refunds of overdraft and bounced-check fees, according to a recently disclosed regulatory order.

Disintermediation is so five years ago, according to Cross River Bank in New Jersey. It just raised $28 million from Silicon Valley. Now, it wants to enhance its compliance system so it can partner with "riskier" fintech startups and, effectively, enable the industry's so-called disruptors.

Cathay General Bancorp in Los Angeles has agreed to a community reinvestment plan tied to its deal to buy SinoPac Bancorp from Bank SinoPac in Taiwan.

BNC Bancorp in High Point, N.C., has rebranded its banking unit to reflect its expansion beyond the Tarheel State. The $7.5 billion-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that Bank of North Carolina is now BNC Bank.

Low-income urban youth methodically saved money when taught about goal-setting and given access to savings accounts and other basic banking tools.

SunTrust Banks in Atlanta has agreed to open almost 200 new locations of Operation Hope's financial-counseling centers inside its branches by 2020.

While big banks have grown more comfortable lending to casinos based on reservations, financial firms have been slower to embrace other Native American enterprises.

OptimumBank Holdings in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has appointed a former Florida credit union CEO, John H. Clifford, to its board.

Online lenders' struggle with fraud is driving them to join new networks designed to find links between fraudulent loan applications and signs of borrowers trying to obtain multiple loans simultaneously.

Linked2pay is expanding a text-based, person-to-person payment service to allow banks to offer it for card and Automated Clearing House payments.

Similar to a bank system merger or migration, a blockchain core conversion project would likely take multiple years and cost tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars depending on the size of the bank.

A small New Jersey bank that is a so-called rent-a-charter partner of more than a dozen marketplace lenders has raised millions of dollars from some household names in the venture capital world.

The founder and president of Anthemis Group gets an early look at all types of fintech innovation. She's noticed that, no matter how different the ideas are, there is one underlying commonality in this sector: it's lacking something profound. Here are some small changes that could make a big difference.

TD Bank Group in Toronto will have a new president and chief executive for its U.S. banking unit next summer.