United Community Banks in Blairsville, Ga., has agreed to buy Tidelands Bancshares in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., for $2.2 million in cash, or 52 cents a share.

"In Northwest Arkansas there are a lot of banks with similar names," Chairman Jon Harrell said in a news release about the rebranding, which includes a new logo and signage. "We wanted a name that would stand out and at the same time it was important to us to not lose sight of our roots."

Several banks have recently purchased highly visible properties in strategically important markets, investing in real estate at a time when the industry is closing branches at a record pace. Low rates may be a factor, but many bankers are also trying to send a message to clients and prospects.

When your members spend their days coding at Intel or developing the next big mobile app at tech startup, you can’t afford to take a wait-and-see approach to technology.

The agency's insurance-rate cut could spur the rehab of thousands of affordable units, but it's far from a total solution, housing advocates say.

Third Federal Savings and Loan in Cleveland has long offered mortgage refinancing in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. Now it plans to offer purchase loans in those states.

JPMorgan Chase has agreed to sell its U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development mortgage origination business to Freedom Mortgage of Mount Laurel, N.J.

Recent devaluations of startups and other signs of trouble do not mean the end of fintech upheaval but rather the start of acquisitions and other repositioning to advance stability.

First Financial in Terre Haute, Ind., has sold its insurance brokerage unit to USI Insurance Services in Valhalla, N.Y.

Hammond-Henry Hospital in Geneseo, Ill. filed a seven-count lawsuit in Henry County (Ill.) Circuit Court alleging breach of contract by collection agency Allied Business Accounts, doing business as Health Care Billing Services.

The FTC has published a reminder to debt collectors about Fair Debt Collection Practices Act compliance risks created by the use of social media or text messages in connection with debt collection efforts.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has amassed more than $300 million in its consumer relief fund, nearly double the amount from a year earlier - sparking questions about why the fund is so large.

When negativity threatens to stall progress, some surprisingly simple “little tricks” can help resolve conflict and get employees more engaged, says Michelle Stacy, who spoke at a recent Pennsylvania Bankers Association conference.

Pew Charitable Trusts argues that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau needs to impose new rules on checking account overdraft policies. Does an analysis of CFPB's complaint database support this conclusion? Haberfeld's Achim Griesel says no.

BofI Holding in San Diego has bought an equipment finance business from PacWest Bancorp in Beverly Hills, Calif.

San Francisco has an Office of Financial Empowerment that oversees all sorts of programs designed to help residents handle their money better and recruits banks and credit unions to participate. As other cities adopt a similar approach, more financial institutions have an opportunity to get involved.

Talmer Bancorp in Michigan agreed in January to sell itself for 2.3% less than its stock price at the time. In a recent filing, Talmer gave its rationale for the contentious take-under, emphasizing the deal's long-term benefits.

Debt collection complaints topped the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s annual list in 2015 with 31% of total complaints, but the number dipped 3.5% to 85,200.

The government agency that guarantees securitizations of Federal Housing Administration-insured loans is testing a pool type that consists only of modified and reperforming loans.

Debt collection, credit reporting and mortgages topped the list of complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau last year, while complaints about prepaid cards and consumers loans soared, the agency said Friday.