The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency recently freed 11 banks from regulatory orders.

Most housing markets are faring better than they did in the depths of the recession, but the recovery still has a long way to go.

The Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corp. (AGM) plans to sell $75 million worth of preferred stock in a public offering.

Innovation can come from unlikely places. Five years ago, few would have guessed that the most widely available mobile wallets would be developed by companies like Starbucks and Google, which built their names in completely different fields. Several more disruptors are joining the scene, with even weirder origins.

A recap of the informed opinions (and they discussions they generated) on BankThink this week.

Bill Cooper could step down as the Minnesota company's chief executive sometime next year, and two insiders appear to be the early favorites to replace him.

Moody's Investors Service has downgraded its credit rating on First Niagara Financial Group (FNFG), citing concerns about the Buffalo banking company's asset quality, profitability and capital levels.

Retailers face an uphill battle after an appeals court panel rules that banks shouldn't have to sacrifice another big chunk of their debit interchange revenue.

Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN), Switzerland's second-biggest bank, agreed to pay $885 million to settle lawsuits by the Federal Housing Finance Agency over mortgages sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

A coalition of advocacy groups announced their opposition Friday to a bill by Senate Banking Committee leaders to overhaul the housing finance system, citing concerns about market access for low-income and minority families.

F&M Bank Corp. (FMBM) in Timberville, Va., has raised $12 million in a private placement.

A federal appeals court ruled Friday that the Federal Reserve acted appropriately in setting restrictions on debit card swipe fees, marking a critical victory for banks and a major setback for retailers. American Banker editors discuss what the ruling is likely to mean for the debit card industry and whether it represents the end of the high-stake battle.

A federal appeals court panel ruled Friday that the existing restrictions on debit card swipe fees should largely stand, turning back a challenge by retailers who argued that banks are still earning too much money from the fees.

Wells Fargo, a longtime laggard in the ultracompetitive credit card market, has been developing two new credit cards with partner American Express. Executive Brent Vallat also explains how a new bankwide rewards program could help its credit card growth.

Mt. Gox, the Tokyo-based digital currency exchange that filed for bankruptcy protection last month, said it had located about 200,000 of the 850,000 Bitcoins it said had gone missing.

But the analysis of housing markets in 410 counties found that only 8 percent are better off than they were eight years ago.

If government bureaucrats, acting without statutory authority, can coerce banks into denying services to firms engaged in lawful behavior that the government does not like, where does it stop?

The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department is mounting a campaign to shut off service to as many as 3,000 delinquent customers each week after reporting that more than half of the city's customers are 60 days-plus late on payments.

Seacoast Banking Corp. of Florida (SBCF) in Stuart has filed a shelf registration to issue up to $150 million in debt and securities.

Xenith Bankshares (XBKS) in Richmond, Va., has agreed to buy Colonial Virginia Bank in Gloucester, Va.