Complaints against the collection industry logged with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau dropped last month.

Discover Financial Services rode loan growth in every segment of its consumer finance business to net income of $644 million in the third quarter.

TrustCo Bank in Glenville, N.Y., reported higher quarterly earnings driven by increased lending. The $4.6 billion-asset company's third-quarter earnings rose 5% from a year earlier, to $10.7 million.

Empire Bancorp in Islandia, N.Y., posted stronger quarterly earnings after working to make loans a higher percentage of total assets.

The recent drop in interest rates has opened the door for lenders to refinance borrowers with high-cost Federal Housing Administration loans into conventional Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans.

Regions Financial in Birmingham, Ala., will stop using high-to-low reordering of checks and debits next year, resulting in a revenue loss of between $10 million and $15 million per quarter.

Executives at regional banks around the country have reported a wide variation in quarterly loan growth (some good, some not) as economic volatility, heavy competition and new regulatory requirements present obstacles.

To win over younger customers, banks must offer free products that work straight out of the box, while also reducing red tape. To hire the best millennial-generation employees, banks need to appeal to younger workers' global values.

PHOENIX – Banks need to convert their ATM fleets into modern financial services kiosks that become new profit centers because legacy payments systems are looking more out of touch with modern expectations.

Customers Bancorp in Wyomissing, Pa., reported higher quarterly earnings as higher revenue offset a spike in expenses.

CNB Financial reported higher quarter earnings after buying FC Bancorp in Ohio. The $2.2 billion-asset company reported an 18% increase in third-quarter earnings from a year earlier, to $5.5 million.

Richard Hunt of the Consumer Bankers Association describes the changes to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau he'll press for in the next Congress, regardless of which party controls the Senate.

Richard Hunt of the Consumer Bankers Association describes the changes to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau he'll press for in the next Congress, regardless of which party controls the Senate.

BBCN Bancorp in Los Angeles reported a decline in quarterly earnings tied to higher expenses and a rise in loan payoffs.

The $2.9 billion-asset company's third-quarter earnings more than tripled from the second quarter, which included upfront merger-related expenses, and rose 72% from a year earlier, to $5.9 million.

The Mississippi company withdrew two merger applications in August after the FDIC targeted its Bank Secrecy Act compliance. Management says it has made significant progress and is looking forward to a follow-up exam early next year.

The Community Reinvestment Act is often used as a tool to address a broad range of social problems. But the law’s expanded purpose may distract banks from their primary mission of direct lending to low- and moderate-income communities.

Signature Bank in New York reported higher third-quarter profits driven by an uptick in commercial and multifamily lending.

First Defiance Financial in Defiance, Ohio, reported higher quarterly profit after posting higher fee income.

The GSE regulator's second attempt to stimulate the mortgage market is receiving a lukewarm reception from lenders, who remain gun-shy after being forced by Fannie and Freddie to repurchase billions of dollars in soured loans since 2008.