A debt collection operation that used fake names and threatened consumers into paying debts they often did not owe can no longer perform any collection work under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission.

BBCN Bancorp in Los Angeles has signed a memorandum of understanding with the city of Seoul aimed at expanding the bank's business in South Korea.

Can gaming make credit card purchases fun? At least one community bank is delivering its marketing via a mobile game. SimpliSavvy, Bank of Hawaii's new app, comes as banks across the nation are trying to capture more credit card business.

Kentucky State Sen. Reggie Thomas, D-Lexington, pre-filed a bill with the Kentucky General Assembly to cap the amount of interest charged by payday loan lenders.

Rep. John Delaney said Tuesday that he's "optimistic" Congress could take up reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac next term, despite the political difficulties lawmakers have faced in getting legislation approved over the past two years.

The payments industry has changed dramatically over the past year, and so has the mindset of those in the industry. The focus is shifting from mobile payments and Bitcoin to fraud mitigation and security.

BNP Paribas SA, the French lender fined a record $8.97 billion for U.S. sanctions violations, is preparing to name a successor to Chairman Baudouin Prot as soon as this week, Le Figaro reported.

The Circuit Court for Baltimore City has dismissed a class-action lawsuit brought against FedFirst Financial in Monessen, Pa., related to its agreement to sell.

Community bankers can get ahead of the competition by building strong and profitable relationships with their customers. They should start by keeping products simple and explanations forthright.

Wellesley Investment Partners in Massachusetts has named Louis Crosier president.

CBE Companies has been named one of Iowa's Top Workplaces, based on surveys conducted by WorkplaceDynamics, a research firm focused on organizational health and employee engagement.

The Federal Reserve is tracking the competitive climate among community banks, including the dearth of new charter activity. Key officials also used opening remarks at the Fed's community banking conference to outline ways they are trying to improve communication with bankers.

An appeals court chose not to revisit a ruling that a collection agency violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act when it sent a collection letter revealing a debtor's account number through the envelope's address window. The agency now can either let the decision stand or try taking the case to the Supreme Court.

Federal Savings Bank in Chicago has teamed up with West Suburban Bank in Lombard, Ill., to offer mortgage products across West Suburban's 37-branch network.

Garry Cipponeri, the head of capital markets for JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s U.S. mortgage unit, is leaving the bank to start a new company, according to two people with knowledge of the move.

There were fewer institutions originating mortgages in 2013, while low- and moderate-income borrowers took a smaller share of industry volume, according to the recently released Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data.

Mortgage underwriting overlays are not only tighter than they were precrisis, they're more restrictive than they were 15 years ago — a trend that Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro wants to change.

It's fashionable to say that community banks need to bulk up to better absorb compliance costs and compete with larger banks, but not all bankers agree. At a panel discussion at American Banker's Regulatory Symposium Monday, three CEOs argued that small banks can thrive by remaining hyperfocused on the communities they serve, while continually finding ways to grow revenues and control expenses.

Punishing executives for misconduct at banks is essential to deter wrongdoing on Wall Street, New York's banking regulator said.

Rebeca Romero Rainey, the CEO of Centinel Bank of Taos, will use part of her speech at a Federal Reserve conference on small banks this week to discuss the need for regulatory relief and her belief that community bankers have a duty to persevere under difficult circumstances.