MasterCard Inc., the second-largest U.S. payments network, posted fourth-quarter profit that beat analysts' estimates as customer spending climbed.

The ability of Somali-Americans to send cash home to their relatives is again in peril after a California bank decided to stop facilitating the money transfers, according to a foreign aid organization that has been monitoring the situation.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Thursday proposed a series of regulatory relief measures for small institutions, especially those in rural areas, to help them provide credit while they try to follow the agency's tough mortgage rules.

Federal Reserve officials suggested that anonymous payments and the technologies powering digital currencies could inform broader plans for reshaping the U.S. payment system.

TCF Financial took $44 million in charges to rid itself of mortgages made before the housing collapse. A distressed-asset investor purchased more than $400 million in loans from the company, and another pool of bad mortgages may be marked for sale soon.

In yet another revision of its mortgage rules, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed making it easier for small and rural lenders to make "qualified mortgages." Industry representatives said the changes are poised to make a big difference.

Visa, the world's largest payments network, posted fiscal first-quarter profit that beat analysts' estimates as card spending increased. The company announced a 4-for-1 stock split.

Green Dot reported a net loss in the fourth quarter as it spent money to diversify beyond its flagship prepaid card business.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau plans to review loan modifications offered by private student lenders, a business that the agency has said victimized some borrowers with subprime-style debt.

WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department has exceeded its authority by keeping Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in conservatorship so long and taking all their profits, two legislative experts said Thursday.

Federal regulators announced guidance Thursday that provides principles institutions should consider in setting policies and procedures for originating private student loans with graduated repayment terms.

Ally Financial faced tough questions Thursday about its strategy in the wake of the Detroit automaker's decision to use its own in-house financing arm for its entire subsidized lease business.

After a surprising fall swoon, demand for commercial loans bounced back in December. Lenders, meanwhile, are paying much more attention to how falling energy prices could impact loan portfolios.

State Bank Financial in Atlanta reported a decline quarterly profits as the accounting benefits related to its failed-bank purchases continued to wane.

Banks have made progress cutting their exposure to risky home equity lines of credit, ahead of a key 10-year threshold when billions of dollars of them will reset to higher monthly payments. But there are some prominent exceptions, especially among regional banks.

The ATM and bank technology provider Diebold has named two executives to lead its international finance and data security offices.

The National Consumer Law Center wants the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to ban all out-of-statute debt collections, arguing that the practice of chasing "zombie debts" is unfair, deceptive and abusive.

New York Community Bancorp wants Washington to raise the asset size for systemically important financial institutions, but in the meanwhile its asset sales to stay under the threshold helped to boost profits and its CEO is pursuing possible M&A deals.

Astoria Financial in Lake Success, N.Y., reported higher quarterly profit that benefitted from a sizable reserve release.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Thursday proposed a series of regulatory relief measures for small institutions, especially those in rural areas, to help them provide credit while they try to follow the agency's tough mortgage rules.