Home values have risen fastest in markets where institutional buyers bought up scores of foreclosed homes and then rented them out. But these investor have largely curtailed their buying, and may even be ready to start selling off more properties to profit from the run-up in home prices. That could be good news for first-time buyers.

Charlotte, N.C.-area hospitals have started offering multiyear interest-free payment plans to help reduce the number of outstanding bills as consumers pay more out-of-pocket medical costs.

Guaranty Bancshares in Mount Pleasant, Texas, has agreed to buy DCB Financial in Dallas.

Financial institutions need to have good digital offerings, but they also need to find ways to stand out from the crowd. That's why branches will remain a crucial home base.

Security First Bank in Fresno, Calif., has a new president.

A phony debt collection scam in Colorado has state regulators warning residents to be aware of callers pretending to be law enforcement or government agency officials.

Mortgage denials in 2013 were comparable to those recorded a decade ago, analyses of HMDA data show, challenging perceptions about how easy lending really was during the era of "pulse" loans and "fog-a-mirror finance."

The sharp nationwide drop in gas prices is allowing more U.S. consumers to stay current on their debts, according to a new report from the American Bankers Association.

Home BancShares in Conway, Ark., has named a new chief for its banking unit.

Banco Santander, Spain's largest bank, is considering a multibillion-euro capital increase, people with knowledge of the matter said.

An index of late-payment rates hit a record low in the third quarter, as consumer spent less to fill their gas tanks.

The $8.9 billion-asset company said in a statement provided to American Banker on Wednesday that it plans to use the capital to support future growth.

Leaders of smaller banks optimistic about the growth prospects of small-business loans in 2015, but they are equally worried about increased competition from larger banks, nonbanks and credit unions.

President Obama is expected to announce a half-percentage-point reduction in the Federal Housing Administration's annual premium during a housing policy speech Thursday in Phoenix.

The founder and chairman of 1st Century Bank in Los Angeles has been named to chair the city's tourism and convention board.

The financial crisis scarred many Americans. Now that they have given themselves permission to spend again, they will do so responsibly.

SBT Bancorp in Simsbury, Conn., moved its shares on Wednesday to a new OTC Markets Group trading platform.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., plans in 2015 to continue her focus on student loan debt and the potential long-term problems it poses to the economy despite now facing a Republican-controlled Congress.

The Green Mountain State is home to businesses and consumers who march to a different drummer, and Brattleboro Savings & Loan's new checking account promotion seeks to appeal to that independent spirit.

Hamilton Bancorp in Towson, Md., has a new chairman.