For financial institutions, there are scary parallels between the IRS' failure to protect sensitive personal information and their own such struggles.

Midland Financial in Oklahoma City has agreed to buy 1st Century Bancshares in Los Angeles.

Horizon Bancorp in Michigan City, Ind., has agreed to buy LaPorte Bancorp in LaPorte, Ind.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of AmericanBanker.com articles and our social media platforms.

Huntington Bancshares plans to close more than 100 branches in Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin after it completes its acquisition of FirstMerit.

State Street in Boston is on the hunt for a new chief financial officer. Michael Bell, 52, has decided to step down within the next year the custody bank said on Thursday.

Richard Meares, the president and chief executive of Fleetwood Bank in Berks County, Pa., is retiring in January.

Norwood Financial in Honesdale, Pa., has agreed to buy Delaware Bancshares in Walton, N.Y.

There are a lot of things banks can — and must — do to guard against the oldest trick in the cybercriminal book: deceptive emails. Don't laugh: The crooks are getting smarter, but many executives, employees and customers aren't.

It could take months before lawmakers approve a successor for departing NCUA Chairman Debbie Matz, and industry observers believe issues like supplemental capital could be on hold until that replacement takes office.

James Hackett, chairman of the board of directors at Fifth Third Bancorp, is stepping down.

The Hall of Fame manager, who won three World Series, told bankers at a recent conference that trust, integrity and communication are critical to success. La Russa also shared tales from his storied career, including accounts of managing the likes of Rickey Henderson and Chris Carpenter.

The total balance of outstanding first mortgages in January jumped to more than $8.3 trillion, an increase of 2.1% year-over-year, according to data from the Equifax National Consumer Credit Trends Report.

That is the message from North Carolina's banking commissioner and others who think the odds of preventing the rule are so low, and the amount of preparation needed to comply so great, that bankers should get real.

Eight months after it revamped its Chase Bank home page, JPMorgan Chase is beginning to roll out changes beyond the sign-in page.

Not only are widening credit spreads for both banks and the companies they lend to a red flag, but the financial sector is also feeling a hit from lower energy prices.

The number of credit card accounts in the U.S. is increasing as the economy and job growth continue to improve, according to the American Bankers Association's latest Credit Card Market Monitor report.

Personal income gains, coupled with historically low interest rates, should help cushion borrowers and reduce the likelihood of a rise in defaults despite the recent increase in auto lending, according to a new report from London-based Capital Economics Ltd.

The top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday asked the FCC to include a range of consumer protections in new rules - including limiting the number and duration of calls that can be made.

Prosper Marketplace is rebranding a personal-finance app that it acquired last year, a key part of the firm’s efforts to engage more frequently with its borrowers.