In the United Kingdom, the think tank Institute for Public Policy Research revealed the most popular uses for payday loans involve everyday expenses rather than unexpected emergencies.

A compilation of the year's favorite stories, as selected by the people who assigned and edited them. Picks exclude items that appear among Top Stories of 2013, as measured by audience size.

Compliance issues and regulatory worries can prevent many banks from embracing much new technology internally - especially when it comes to the tricky waters of social media like Twitter. Frank Sorrentino III, CEO of the New Jersey community bank ConnectOne, discusses why he and his bank are so active on Twitter, and why other bankers shouldn't let worries about compliance block them from being innovative.

We revisit some of the best comments readers posted to AmericanBanker.com and BankThink.com in 2013.

United Bancorp (UBMI) in Ann Arbor, Mich., has redeemed the last of its Troubled Asset Relief Program shares.

Banks got some regulatory relief in 2013 as federal regulators sharply curtailed their issuance of new enforcement actions.

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

Target Corp. said data related to shoppers' personal identification numbers was stolen during the recent breach of its debit and credit card system and that it's "confident" customers' accounts haven't been compromised because the information was encrypted.

A trio of lawsuits in West Virginia highlight the types of issues agencies are facing not just in the state but nationally.

Susquehanna Bancshares is doing a sale-leaseback of 30 branches to improve its capital planning. But over the long term, and more importantly to the industry overall, it could also help the bank get out of branches that may one day become obsolete.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. issued a prompt corrective action against AztecAmerica Bank in Berwyn, Ill., in November and hit two other banks with consent orders.

The Fed's planned reduction in bond purchases is expected to drive mortgage rates up by 50 basis points next year, further suppressing the refi market. The upshot: more competition in the purchase market.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Justice filed a joint complaint against National City Bank for charging higher prices on mortgage loans to African-American and Hispanic borrowers than similarly creditworthy white borrowers between the years 2002 and 2008.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a warning on the risks of virtual currencies, and the country's largest Bitcoin trading platform has shut down.

Old National Bancorp (ONB) in Evansville, Ind., will pay a $500,000 fine in the process of satisfying a regulatory order to strengthen its anti-laundering controls.

WashingtonFirst Bankshares (WFBI) in Reston, Va., is the latest lender to divest securities on concerns about the Volcker Rule's controversial ban on collateralized debt obligations.

The Federal Reserve Board has approved Community West Bancshares' (CWBC) request to pay dividends on preferred stock.

TipperCoin is attempting to combine two concepts that have faced strong headwinds in the past year: digital currency and Twitter-based payments.

Cathay General Bancorp in Los Angeles has announced a number of executive changes, including the appointment of Irwin Wong to the newly created position of chief retail administration and regulatory affairs officer.

Susquehanna Bancshares (SUSQ) in Lititz, Pa., has sold 30 branches to a SunTrust Banks (STI) subsidiary and agreed to lease them back.