Housing policy needs to be refocused on strengthening household balance sheets, especially by making borrowersmore resilient to home price declines. A new 15-year fixed-rate mortgage that allows borrowers to use the down payment to buy down the interest rate on the loan is designed to do just that.

First Guaranty Bancshares in Hammond, La., has filed for a $75 million initial public offering.

Overall, U.S. residential properties - including single-family homes, condominiums and townhouses - sold at an estimated annual pace of 4.4 million in September.

A company that sold credit and debit card payment processing services has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it used deception and unsubstantiated claims.

Retail ATM operator Cardtronics Inc. is testing a system that takes location-based offers, which are typically linked to a card account or a mobile app, and makes them available to consumers who may prefer to pay with cash.

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision Friday, ruling debt buyer Portfolio Recovery Associates violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act when it sought to collect interest charges on a credit card debt.

Bank of Hawaii in Honolulu reported higher quarterly profit due to strong loan growth.

The agency is now using Fincen guidance that was designed to make banks and credit unions more comfortable with the pot industry's risks. Such actions are encouraging more banks — but still not many — to do business with this emerging industry.

Iberiabank is excited to add equipment finance and an SBA lending platform when it buys Old Florida Bancshares. The deal also gives the Louisiana company its first branches in Orlando.

Profits rose at Bridge Bancorp in Bridgehampton, N.Y., on strong loan growth. The $2.2 billion-asset reported net income of $4.9 million in the third quarter, up 56% from a year earlier.

Independent Bank in Ionia, Mich., reported lower quarterly earnings due to margin pressure and a significantly higher tax expense.

Opus Bank in Irvine, Calif., missed third-quarter earnings estimates, largely due to a steep increase in its loan loss provision.

Lakeland Financial in Warsaw, Ind., rode double-digit loan growth and credit-quality improvements to an 18% increase in profits.

Community banks have been steadily increasing their dealing in auto finance, an area with great potential and significant risk for unexperienced lenders.

A final piece of Bank of America Corp.'s record $16.7 billion toxic-mortgage settlement is being held up by an internal fight at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, said four people familiar with the case.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's report on private student loans should prompt lenders, regulators and universities to take action to help troubled borrowers and prevent future defaults.

Triumph Bancorp in Dallas is looking to raise $123 million through an initial public offering.

Fannie Mae reached a $170 million lawsuit settlement Friday to resolve allegations that it defrauded shareholders by making misleading statements about its risk management, mortgage exposure and overall finances.

Hudson Valley Holding Corp. (HVB), a New York City-area lender with about $3.2 billion in assets, is exploring a sale, people with knowledge of the matter said.

Iberiabank in Lafayette, La., has agreed to acquire Old Florida Bancshares in Orlando.