WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is urging the Department of Defense to finalize a proposal meant to stop lenders from offering expensive credit to military personnel.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is urging the Department of Defense to finalize its proposal to extend the Military Lending Act to cover more types of credit than the current rule.

Valley National in Wayne, N.J., will use proceeds from a branch sale in New York City to offset costs tied to prepaying debt.

Michael Scudder stands to get a full year of benefits from three recently completed deals. The big question, however, is whether First Midwest will pursue a transformative deal to cross over $10 billion in assets and offset a heightened regulatory burden.

More than 1.1 million households in the U.S. used auto title loans in 2013, according to a survey by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. - the first time the agency has included such loans in its annual survey.

Since the recession, card companies have profited largely from swipe fees and rock-bottom loss rates. But with interest rates expected to rise in 2015, loan portfolios are finally growing again, and the industry is starting to look more like it did before 2008.

MainStreet Bank in Fairfax, Va., has raised nearly $13 million by issuing common stock.

Experian announced Monday that it will begin offering FICO credit scores through its direct-to-consumer products.

Credit Karma has begun offering on-demand access to credit reports from Equifax.

Experian will now offer FICO credit scores through its direct-to-consumer products, the Costa Mesa, Calif.-based credit bureau announced today.

LCNB Corp. in Lebanon, Ohio, has agreed to buy BNB Bancorp in Brookville, Ohio.

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act lawsuits dropped to a more typical 713 cases (including 66 class action cases) filed in November after a spike to more than 900 in October. Fair Credit Reporting Act lawsuits decreased to 173 (including 14 class action cases) in November from more than 225 a month earlier.

Some startups have been criticized for charging high fees and interest rates, but online lenders argue that borrowers are willing to pay them for the sake of expediency.

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Banks have waited eagerly for years for interest rates to rise. Higher rates should lead to better profits for those banks that are well positioned. Others that got impatient and reached for yield with risky investments could be in a world of hurt.

The financial services company Santander's subprime auto lending business is under investigation by Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley's office over concerns it may have been engaged in predatory lending practices.

Faster lending, mobile app enhancements and seamless channel hopping are all priorities top bank tech executives have for the new year.

Visa and MasterCard halted services in Crimea after a new round of U.S. sanctions, according to multiple reports.

Jack Kopnisky of Sterling Bancorp in New York, which completed a major acquisition last year and has another in the works, is close to reaching his goal of creating a top earner. That effort, and the risks associated with it, make Kopnisky one of American Banker’s five community bankers to watch in 2015.

With Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. reserves erasing crisis-era losses, the agency is staring down a critical decision on how to implement a congressionally required increase in the insurance fund.