The investigation's nickname is "Operation Choke Point," and that seems appropriate, because a noose appears to be tightening around the necks of banks that have ties to online payday lenders.

Cardinal Financial Corp. (CFNL) in McLean, Va., reported a sharp drop in quarterly profits as mortgage banking revenue plummeted.

A Michigan woman charged with embezzling $135,000 from collection agency Mid-Michigan Collection Bureau, where she was employed, received a sentence of one year in jail and an order to pay restitution, Clinton County (Mich.) Circuit Court Judge Michelle Rick announced this week.

Univest Corp. of Pennsylvania (UVSP) in Souderton reported lower fourth-quarter profit after an acquisition led to higher expenses.

Fulton Financial (FULT) in Lancaster, Pa., has added its name to the growing list of banks closing branches to cut costs.

Executives at Lead Bank in Garden City, Mo., are hopeful that offering small businesses more high-touch services, such as consulting, will provide an advantage in an area that has become fiercely competitive.

CenterState Banks (CSFL) in Davenport, Fla., plans to close 13% of its branches and fire 57 employees.

New auto loans climbed to an eight-year high in the first 10 months of 2013, according to the latest National Consumer Credit Trends Report from Equifax.

Community banks originated about 60% of the $1.5 billion of loans issued through the State Small Business Credit Initiative, a program created as part of the 2010 Jobs Act.

Kitsap Bank in Port Orchard, Wash., has hired a chief financial officer.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. filed a lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court in Colorado against nine former executives and directors at United Western Bank, which failed in 2011.

Something resembling deposit insurance for virtual currencies may still be in the distant future. But a growing array of startups is attempting to offer Bitcoin users a similar layer of security to that enjoyed by bank depositors.

The next decade should be a payments-industry renaissance, but thanks to established market shares and persistent consumer and merchant habits, familiar names will remain at the core.

The $5.6 billion-asset company’s fourth-quarter earnings rose 29% from a year earlier, to $15.3 million.

Fulton Financial (FULT) in Lancaster, Pa., reported a nearly 5% increase in fourth-quarter earnings, capping a year of loan growth and credit quality improvements.

Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC), the biggest U.S. home lender, agreed to sell about 2 percent of its residential servicing portfolio, or about 184,000 loans, to Ocwen Financial Corp. (OCN) as it tests the market.

First Midwest Bancorp (FMBI) in Itasca, Ill., posted higher earnings in the fourth quarter as noninterest expense fell and credit quality improved.

Bank CEOs, particularly those running small banks, shouldn't be judged on stock price alone. Board members and investors should also consider, among other things, liquidity, tangible book growth and oversight of mergers and acquisitions.

Renasant (RNST) in Tupelo, Miss., posted a big increase in quarterly profit following its recent purchase of First M&F.

In a reflection of how important--and how tough--expense cuts are to banks these day, SunTrust devoted part of its recent earnings call to discussing a real estate move aimed at saving $100,000 a month.