When MasterCard Inc. paid a team of lobbyists about $70,000 earlier this year to promote the bank- card network's views, a new topic made their list: bitcoin.

WASHINGTON — Seven of the largest mortgage servicers say they have trimmed an average of $614 off monthly payments on over 16,000 loans as part of foreclosure prevention required by a regulatory settlement.

A raft of mobile payment companies are demonstrating their technology in San Jose this week, even as they acknowledge that the sector has not yet lived up to investors' initial hopes.

BOK Financial (BOKF) in Tulsa, Okla., reported lower net income as mortgage activity declined.

Banks issued at least $12.3 billion in subordinated debt last year, far more than what they issued in any year since the financial crisis. A big factor is investor demand, which has been stimulated by a need for higher-yielding holdings.

United Bankshares' (UBSI) earnings increased during the first quarter, with support from the completion of its Virginia Commerce Bancorp acquisition and sale of one of its own branches.

EverBank Financial (EVER) in Jacksonville, Fla., said that first-quarter earnings fell 18% from a year earlier, to $32 million. Earnings per share of 23 cents beat the average estimate of analysts polled by Bloomberg by 2 cents.

A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers is pushing the Obama administration to nominate someone with community banking experience to the Federal Reserve Board.

In a highly unusual initiative, small community bank Independence Bancshares has been building a real-time transactions processing system. CEO Gordon Baird hopes to attract others to use it, too.

State Bank Financial (STBZ) in Atlanta swung to a profit in the first quarter, as it benefited from improved figures on its covered-loan portfolio.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. claims that reports of the impending death of community banks are greatly exaggerated. Historical data tells a different story.

Wells Fargo was the largest seller of loans in pools where Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac offloaded risk through credit-linked transactions, Fitch says in a report released Wednesday.

New York regulators on Wednesday announced settlements with four companies accused of financing retail installment obligations at usurious rates of interest, ranging up to 55%, for New York consumers who sought financing for elective medical and surgical procedures.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could require an additional bailout of as much as $190 billion in a severe economic downturn, according to the results of stress tests released by the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Authorities in Vermont recently unveiled a novel approach to the crackdown on online payday lending: they sent a warning to search-engine providers and TV stations that the lenders use to advertise their products.

A federal judge in Alabama will hear arguments Thursday over a debt collection lawsuit that accuses the city of Montgomery, Ala. of jailing some residents for not paying their debts.

New York Community Bancorp (NYCB) in Westbury reported lower quarterly earnings as mortgage-related income plummeted.

Banks looking to build productive, lean-staffed branches should ensure that their work culture rewards positive employee attitudes.

First Financial Bancorp (FFBC) in Cincinnati has agreed to buy Guernsey Bancorp in Worthington, Ohio.

First Horizon National Corp. announced late Tuesday that it will pay $110 million to the Federal Housing Finance Agency to settle allegations that it sold faulty mortgages to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the years leading up to housing bust.