Fewer consumers today believe it's difficult to get a mortgage than a year ago. However, the majority of survey respondents still think the origination process is too tough and that there are too few homes on the market.

Atlantic Coast Financial in Jacksonville, Fla., is in talks to restructure its debt and has reversed the valuation allowance on a deferred tax asset.

Access National in Reston, Va., said Chairman James "Ted" Jadlos resigned to focus on a mortgage-related business.

A national publication on Monday published an article with strategies for consumers dealing with debt collectors. Collections & Credit Risk encourages readers to tell us what you think of the story as well as the mainstream media's recent overall portrayal of the collection industry.

A judge ordered a Michigan hospital to pay more than $2.7 million as a result of a lawsuit involving plaintiffs who loaned the hospital money.

Apple realizes that retailers are uniquely well-positioned to encourage mobile payments adoption. That's why the company's decision to start accepting retailer loyalty cards on Apple Pay before launching a loyalty program of its own makes good sense.

A lawsuit filed by Indiana’s attorney general accuses a test preparation company of deceptive practices. Unlike a separate New York lawsuit filed against the firm this month, the complaint does not name an affiliate collection agency.

John Poelker recently stepped down from CertusHoldings in Greenville, S.C., but in less than a year on the job he broke up a $1.7 billion-asset company that had lost roughly $170 million from 2012 to 2014 amid investor claims of mismanagement and excessive spending by his predecessors. Here's a look at how he did it.

Citizens Financial Group in Providence, R.I., has named two new state presidents for Citizens Bank in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Determining regulatory requirements based on banks’ activities rather than their size would liberate old-school institutions from unnecessary burdens without endangering the financial system.

Bear State Financial in Little Rock, Ark., has agreed to buy Metropolitan National Bank in Springfield, Mo.

Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati will close or sell about 100 branches=, or about 7% of its total branch network.

Eagle Bancorp Montana in Helena has completed a $10 million private placement of subordinated bonds.

Two community banks that focus on underbanked and low-income populations, City First Bank of D.C. and Southern Bancorp in Arkadelphia, Ark., have joined an international group that promotes socially and environmentally responsible development.

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week, including the need to hold bankers accountable for criminal deeds and whether the FDIC's proposed recordkeeping requirement is smart planning or pointless.

BB&T's auto-finance division will stop dealers from marking up the price on sales contracts, and instead will offer a flat-fee compensation program.

U.S. consumers are increasingly using their credit cards rather than tapping home-equity credit lines to pay debts or finance a big purchase, according to Sanford C. Bernstein.

Many lenders may not have been ready for the CFPB's new mortgage disclosure rule if it took effect on Aug. 1 as planned. Now a slip-up by the agency itself has given lenders a two-month reprieve.

Silicon Valley firms like Apple and Lending Club are happy to partner with banks — so long as they get to be the face of customer interactions. But banks may not easily give up that ground.

The Consumer Services division of Washington state's Department of Financial Institutions has accused Quicken Loans of sending false claims in direct mail advertising to military members.