A California federal judge has approved a $2.75 million settlement with USCB Inc., an accounts receivable management firm, to end allegations that the company violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

BB&T in Winston-Salem, N.C., has received regulatory approval to buy Citigroup's remaining branches in Texas.

CertusBank in Greenville, S.C., lost nearly $70 million last year.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has reversed a District of Nebraska’s order granting class certification to a lawsuit, Powers v. Credit Management Services (CMS) Inc.

Old National Bancorp in Evansville, Ind., has agreed to sell a total of 17 branches in Indiana, Illinois and Ohio to First Mid-Illinois Bancshares and MainSource Financial Group.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida has withdrawn its agreement to buy Mackinac Savings Bank in Boynton Beach, Fla., and may instead try to open a credit union.

The Justice Department is seeking to advance a more-than-five-year probe into whether Moody's Investors Service inflated ratings during the U.S. housing boom, according to three people familiar with matter.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Financial Services Roundtable have launched a public-private initiative to promote effective financial education across the U.S.

Investors Bancorp in Short Hills, N.J., reported higher quarterly income thanks to a combination of acquisitions and organic growth.

Small business alternative lender Biz2Credit has added Fortis Payments to its roster of payment partners.

Puppy Bowl fans, keep your TVs turned to Animal Planet on Sunday. FirstBank's new ad campaign was made with you in mind — sort of.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency will require nonbank mortgage firms to meet minimum liquidity and net worth standards to curb risks to taxpayers from the rapidly expanding industry.

The California Department of Business Oversight is accepting applications until Feb. 20 from firms or individuals with experience with the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act and California Homeowner Bill of Rights.

Cost-cutting efforts that once aided earnings hit a wall in the fourth quarter as noninterest expenses – particularly in compliance and tech – exceeded forecasts. Banks are still talking about expense control, but the results highlight the pressure to produce more revenue.

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week.

MB Financial in Chicago reported a sharp rise in quarterly earnings in its first full quarter following the acquisition of Taylor Capital.

National Bank Holdings in Greenwood Village, Colo., has finally returned to the acquisition game, by agreeing to buy Pine River Bank in Bayfield, Colo.

The move likely foreshadows the market impact of proposed regulations requiring prepaid card issuers to assess consumers' ability to repay before extending credit.

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 social media platforms and the blogosphere.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against a judge in Georgia and Judicial Correction Services, claiming the private company's debt collection practices led to poor people being jailed because they couldn't pay.