Equity Bancshares in Wichita, Kan., has agreed to buy First Independence in Independence, Kan. The companies expect the deal to close in the fourth quarter, after approval from regulators and from First Independence's shareholders.

Southern States Bancshares in Anniston, Ala., has agreed to buy Columbus Community Bank in Georgia for $21.4 million.

The auto lender, which has been operating under tight regulatory restrictions since its bailout during the financial crisis, will now be allowed to use its federally insured deposit base to fund more of its loan portfolio.

USAA's newest app, Savings Coach, analyzes financial data to recommend small amounts of money to save and invites members to take savings challenges, then moves the money upon the member's approval. The app comes at a time when millennials have a negative savings rate.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday charged Paymap Inc. and LoanCare LLC with deceiving consumers.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is charging two companies affiliated with Western Union and Fidelity National Financial more than $38 million in total charges for allegedly steering consumers into a mortgage payment program that cost them millions of dollars in fees.

Flagstar Bank far outpaced expectations for its second-quarter results due to high loan sales and a strengthened portfolio from the subtraction of lower performing loans.

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors recently challenged college students to examine how community banks survived the financial crisis, and the contest highlighted innovative strategies used by Main Street banks such as Bank of American Fork in Utah.

Blockchain technology can be used to help financial-services institutions accomplish their most important goal — improving customer service, Blythe Masters said Tuesday.

There is no reason a bank should be able to issue a loan and enjoy one set of rules while a marketplace lender, essentially issuing the same loan, must deal with a morass of conflicting state standards.

Some Democratic lawmakers want to help consumers fight back against creditors. The Consumer Reporting Fairness Act, introduced by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, would make it easier to fix inaccurate credit reports.

Professional race car driver Scott Tucker is working on settling a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit accusing him of involvement in a payday lending scheme.

The House Financial Services Committee is meeting Tuesday to begin voting on several bills that are part of ABA’s Agenda for America’s Hometown Banks.

Fair-value accounting and merger costs took big bites out of Western Alliance Bancorp. in Phoenix last quarter.

Bank of Hawaii in Honolulu reported slightly lower second-quarter profits as expanded lending and mortgage banking was offset by higher payroll costs and other expenses.

Independent Bank Group in McKinney, Texas, has agreed to buy Grand Bank in Dallas for $80.1 million.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau denied an auto dealer trade group's request for a document detailing limits imposed by Honda's financing arm on dealer price discretion.

Suncrest Bank in Visalia, Calif., has agreed to buy Sutter Community Bank in Yuba City, Calif., for $9.4 million in stock.