A mortgage relief services company and its owner agreed Thursday to settle allegations that they illegally charged homeowners an upfront fee for help they promised but never provided.

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 from our social media platforms.

First National Bank in Howell, Mich., has named a former Midwestern bank executive to its board.

Two top Justice Department and CFPB officials said this week that they are seeing more instances of redlining and lenders steering minority borrowers into higher-cost loans.

Wells Fargo has named Michael DeVito head of mortgage production, making him responsible for its retail and correspondent lending divisions.

NexTier in Butler, Pa., has agreed to buy Eureka Financial in Pittsburgh.

The New York licensing process for virtual currency companies is stoking fears that firms which do apply could inadvertently open themselves up to prosecution.

DCB Financial has agreed to sell its headquarters in Lewis Center, Ohio, for $8.2 million.

First Dakota National Bank in Yankton, S.D., has agreed to buy Dakota State Bank in Blunt, S.D.

Some institutions, such as Amalgamated Bank in New York, are voluntarily raising wages for tellers and other workers, while banks in cities such as Seattle and Los Angeles are being forced to pay more by municipal ordinances.

The smartphone can add significant security to payments, but it is also a tool that fraudsters can exploit. Researchers and scammers have already found several unique attacks that rely on mobile devices.

About a fifth of the $163 million in credit Citi has earned under terms of the 2014 settlement would be considered extra credit. Citi can earn extra credit by doing things such as completing loan modifications early or reducing loan-to-value ratios below certain levels.

The San Francisco company hopes to lower its costs by driving out human intervention as much as possible. To get there, it has made the counterintuitive decision to locate its operations staff in one of the country’s most expensive cities.

Summit State Bank in Santa Rosa, Calif., has exited the Small Business Lending Fund.

A recent poll shows that since the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was established in 2011, consumers don’t feel it has improved their lives but some believe the regulator should have more oversight.

Banks are seeing steady growth in consumer loan demand nationwide, particularly in auto loans and mortgages, according to a report released Wednesday by the Federal Reserve Board.

F.N.B. in Pittsburgh has agreed to acquire 17 branches in the Pittsburgh area from Fifth Third Bancorp.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s second-quarter industry update showed steadily rising loan balances making up for persistently tight net interest margins.

Lead Bank in Kansas City, Mo., is poised to open a special branch designed for millennial entrepreneurs. Not only can these commercial customers bank in the techie, garage-like space, but they can actually work there, too.

Talented lenders and anxious clients should expect a full-court press from Pennsylvania's community banks as they look to take market share from of the state's newcomer.