The Portland, Ore., company aquired Sterling Financial last week. Though it created a $22 billion-asset regional player in the Pacific Northwest, CEO Ray Davis says the bank can keep its identify as a community bank.

Chemical Financial Corp. (CHFC) in Midland, Mich., said Monday that its first-quarter net income rose 5% from a year earlier, to $13.8 million, thanks largely to a double-digit increase in loans and improved credit quality.

Mortgage bondholders have long complained to regulators that the national mortgage settlement gave large bank servicers credit for principal reductions and loan modifications they did not pay for themselves.

SunTrust's efficiency decline in the first quarter overshadowed a 16% profit increase, underscoring how shareholders and others are thoroughly scrutinizing bank spending in a low-growth era.

Independent Bank (IBCP) in Ionia, Mich., attributed a significant plunge in quarterly profits to a slump in mortgage refinancing activity.

Aquesta Financial Holdings (AQFH) in Cornelius, N.C., reported higher earnings that benefited from loan growth.

Some banks have made eco-friendliness their mission, while others dabble in green initiatives such as building energy-efficient branches. In honor of Earth Day, here are some examples of banks that have tied environmentalism to their business strategies.

U.S. hospitals increasingly are reviewing patients' credit scores. The idea is to identify patients needing counseling options about payment plans or charity care but the information also helps with debt collections.

American Express is expanding its cash reload network for its Serve prepaid cards through a partnership with Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Investors Bancorp (ISBC) in Short Hills, N.J., announced Monday that it is selling an undisclosed number of shares to the investment banks that managed its recent stock sale.

Govern Google, regulate nationally, build on that baseline, evidence externalities and reduce demand in order to transform payday from a great divider into a great unifier.

Sallie Mae's contract with the Education Department to collect payments on federal student loans could be at risk as a result of a federal probe looking at whether the lender cheated military borrowers.

Washington Trust Bancorp (WASH) in Westerly, R.I., reported a rise in quarterly profit after it sold its merchant-processing business.

SunTrust Banks (STI) in Atlanta said its quarterly profit rose 16% as it made more commercial loans.

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First Security in Owensboro, Ky., has raised $30 million through a private placement. The $500 million-asset company said it would use the funds for organic growth and "acquisitive opportunities."

The head of an operation that allowed telemarketers to make robocalls offering credit card services, hide Caller ID information and call numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry is banned under a settlement with the federal government.

Scammers in Maine are calling residents and telling them they owe money to the state's Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Home BancShares in Conway, Ark., has agreed to buy Florida Traditions Bank in Dade City, Fla. The $6.8 billion-asset Home said it will pay $43 million stock for the $312 million-asset Florida Traditions.

RKJS Bank, an interim company formed by a group of local Baltimore investors, won First Mariner's bankruptcy auction Tuesday after National Penn Bancshares (NPBC) in Allentown, Pa., withdrew its offer.