Fifth Third Bancorp said Tuesday that it plans to close 44 branches, a cost-cutting move that follows its recent shutdown of more than 100 branches.

Raul G. Valdes-Fauli, president and chief executive of Professional Bank in Coral Gables, Fla., has died.

The revelation that thousands of Wells Fargo employees committed what amounted to fraud just put the final nail in the coffin for the effort to change the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — at least for the foreseeable future.

As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposes new small-dollar lending rules, it has also sought comment on an alternative plan that would open the door to banks providing more lower-income credit solutions.

Camden National in Camden, Maine, is uniting its trust and bank units to form a wealth management division.

Comerica in Dallas has sent layoff notices to about 450 employees – nearly half of them in managerial roles – as part of a major cost-cutting initiative.

While the retail lobby won in the political arena and successfully decreased its costs through price-fixing, the biggest loser in this situation was the American consumer.

Hilltop Holdings in Dallas has promoted Alan White to share the chief executive role with Jeremy Ford.

With new fintech investments tapering off and banks starting to get the hang of digital innovation, young companies need to take a hard look at their business models.

Wells Fargo & Co. eliminated product sales goals for its consumer bankers as the company seeks to reassure regulators, lawmakers and customers after employees opened accounts without clients' approval.

A fintech startup called Point is allowing consumers sell a piece of their home equity to investors, rather than borrowing against the value of their houses.

New credit card accounts at JPMorgan Chase have grown by double digits thanks partly to its embrace of borrowers with lower FICO scores, but it sought to reassure investors that credit quality has suffered only slightly.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Monday it has ordered Bridgepoint Education to refund $23.5 million for deceiving students into taking out private student loans that cost more than advertised.

Cambridge Bancorp in Massachusetts has recruited two finance executives to spearhead its new asset-based lending practice.

Lending Club, which has been rebuilding its executive ranks in the wake of a recent scandal, is hiring Thomas Casey as its chief financial officer.

The $222 billion-asset company has not yet publicly stated the number of branches or markets to be affected, but it "would be closing and consolidating some branches in early December," BB&T spokesman David White on Monday.

Customers Bancorp in Wyomissing, Pa., is seeking to raise as much as $133.5 million through two avenues: a newly announced preferred stock offering and previously announced secondary sales of common stock.

Digital payments tools can help commercial clients run their business more efficiently, but in a world still dominated by paper checks banks may need to show their customers the benefits.

Years of branch closures and job cuts are paying off for banks in the form of much-improved efficiency ratios. But with low interest rates still crimping profits, banks remain under pressure to continue reducing expenses.

Groups in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and elsewhere are stepping up efforts to create programs and conferences dedicated to younger bankers, including millennials.