American Express Co. President Ed Gilligan, who died last week on a return trip from Tokyo, suffered an embolism and subsequent heart attack, according to a person briefed on the matter.

The Supreme Court issued a ruling Monday that said second mortgage liens cannot be voided in bankruptcy, even when the first lien is underwater.

Newly elected Rep. French Hill knows firsthand what it's like to lead a bank through a crisis and implement the sometimes complex rules of Dodd-Frank. That knowledge may prove key as he battles to make regulation simpler for small banks.

The $3.2 billion-asset company issued the notes, due 2030, on Friday on behalf of its Fidelity Bank subsidiary.

A Tennessee community bank investor has acquired a majority stake in AB&T Financial in Gastonia, N.C.

City Holding in Charleston, W.Va., has agreed to buy three branches in Kentucky from American Founders Bank in Lexington.

Most banks are interchangeable in the eyes of the average consumer. But a recent survey finds that mission-oriented banks distinguish themselves with greater employee diversity and a stronger commitment to lending in low- and moderate-income communities.

The South Carolina bank has been shedding assets in recent months after suffering millions of dollars in losses in recent years. The bank ousted its management team last year due to poor financial performance and conflicts with investors.

Credit reports and credit scores are valuable tools in the financial services industry. But many consumers could use more education in this area.

Banks need to keep a lid on personnel-related expenses. But many of them are missing out on opportunities to dig deeper into the data and determine the appropriate hours and staffing for their retail locations.

U.S. banks enjoyed their ninth straight quarter of total profits exceeding $35 billion, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s first-quarter report on the industry's health. The FDIC said the growth in net income was "broad-based", spurred by a solid increase in net operating revenue, while community banks once again outpaced the industry at large. Here are some key takeaways.

With more than 1,300 U.S. branches and a Canadian parent company, TD Bank hardly qualifies as a community bank. But the institution is trying to underscore its local-bank bona fides with marketing campaigns touting its support of neighborhood causes.

A growing number of banks employ chief marketing officers who manage multimillion-dollar budgets and are involved in high-level corporate decision-making. The pressure's on to come up with creative ways to differentiate their brands and connect with customers.

Aside from shoestring budgets, the biggest problem for many community banks is that their marketing programs have gone stale, experts say. For too many, marketing remains bounded by three time-worn pillars: advertising, direct mail and public relations.

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The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has fined Bank of America $30 million for allegedly violating consumer protection rights of U.S. military service members while collecting debts.

Former Wells Fargo Chief Executive Richard Kovacevich on Friday said that "regulation is killing small banks."

A specialized Wells Fargo branch in Des Moines and the nonprofit Digital Finance Institute are part of a small but growing movement to improve access to financial services for emigres who have escaped war or persecution.

While other banks build fancy modern skyscrapers or look to shrink the size of their branches, Dollar Bank in Pittsburgh has poured its resources into restoring a 144-year-old building downtown. The bank says the building's fame gives it a marketing edge.

American Express Co. President Ed Gilligan died Friday morning after becoming ill on a flight to New York.