Renasant in Tupelo, Miss., has agreed to buy KeyWorth Bank in Johns Creek, Ga.

Daniel P. Dyer, the chief executive officer of Marlin Business Services in Mount Laurel, N.J., has retired.

Crossroads Bank in Effingham, Ill., has selected Michael Defend as its new chief executive. Defend, who will also serve as president, will step into his new role at the beginning of next year.

Profits at Discover Financial Services fell for the fourth consecutive quarter amid higher compliance expenses and rising funding costs.

Loan-loss provisions are trending up, partly due to an increase in overall lending but also because lenders are concerned about future losses on loans tied to the energy and manufacturing sectors.

Foundation Bancorp in Bellevue, Wash., is searching for a new chief executive. The company said in a press release Tuesday that Diane Dewbrey resigned a day earlier "to pursue other interests."

Housing finance reform in Congress is stalled, but Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (often under pressure from their regulator) are forming partnerships, developing new products and finding ways to share risk with the private sector to correct flaws in the housing system.

A federal appeals court has dealt the retail sector a setback in the ongoing fight over surcharges on credit card purchases.

Two new apps, Penny and Sense, highlight customers' most pressing and interesting financial information without making them search for it. The apps, inspired by Google Now, come as banks worldwide try to provide more sophisticated mobile features.

David H. Stevens, the Mortgage Bankers Association's president, pledged to "shine an aggressive spotlight on abusive enforcement" at the trade group's annual gathering, specifically calling out the Department of Justice.

The government's spotlight on servicing problems means companies should be taking steps now in the face of regulators' current enforcement authority and the potential of coming rules.

The third-largest county in Tennessee is looking to hire Ohio-based collection agency Capital Recovery Systems to help it pursue a combined $160 million that offenders owe in fines, fees and court costs.

The operators of an alleged tech support scam agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they tricked consumers into paying millions of dollars for technical support services they did not need and software that was otherwise free.

Consumer litigation against collection agencies had mixed results in September with Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Telephone Consumer Protection Act lawsuits dropping and Fair Credit Reporting Act litigation making a jump.

Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati reported a higher third-quarter profit, although the restructuring of a commercial credit cut into the results.

Synovus Financial in Columbus, Ga., reported higher quarterly earnings that reflected an increase in fee income and cost control.

Bank of New York Mellon, the world’s second-largest custody bank, reported a third-quarter profit that beat analysts’ estimates as the company cut expenses to offset the impact of lower interest rates.

Regal Bank in Livingston, N.J., has agreed to buy Community First Bank in Somerset, N.J.

From interest rate risk to C-suite and boardroom diversity to succession planning, community bankers need to be acutely tuned in to a combination of global and domestic factors that are changing their world at an unprecedented pace.

Regions Financial in Birmingham, Ala., reported gains in loans and overall revenues in the third quarter, but its net income declined from the same period last year due to increases in its premium for federal deposit insurance and provision for loan losses.