To avoid incurring a customer's wrath or a lawsuit, banks should make sure new fees carry a clear value exchange, offer something new (ahem, mobile) and are easily avoided. Resist any temptation to set fee traps.

The $534 million-asset company said Wednesday that it sold about 203,000 shares of common stock and nearly 400,000 shares of non-voting common stock at $16.80 each to Castle Creek Capital Partners.

The East Coast oil boom and the rise in hydraulic fracturing are creating headaches for banks that lend to local homeowners, who risk violating government mortgage standards when they sell their property's energy rights to oil and gas companies. American Banker editors discuss the foreclosure and even environmental problems that fracking can create for lenders, and how some banks are coping.

An aspect of U.S. tax law is being criticized by some lawmakers and consumer groups concerned that it may be worth billions of dollars for JPMorgan Chase in negotiations with the Department of Justice.

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has proposed allowing Bitcoin to be accepted as contributions for federal candidates in its draft guidance.

Horizon Bancorp (HBNC) in Michigan City, Ind., has agreed to buy SCB Bancorp (SCB) in East Lansing, Mich.

A former executive at One Bank & Trust in Little Rock, Ark., has been charged with stealing nearly $75,000 from his employer to pay off credit card bills.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray acknowledged concerns Tuesday about how the agency is regulating indirect auto lenders, vowing to be more transparent about its oversight.

The $782 million-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that it halved its stake in Lender Service Provider, to 25%, during the third quarter after adding two members to the processing firm.

Ripple Labs has secured $3.5 million in additional funding to fuel the development of its digital currency network.

Checking-account customers who live in the Northeast and Southwest are more likely to enjoy consumer-friendly services than their counterparts in the Midwest and some Western states, according to a new analysis from Pew Charitable Trusts.

Their approaches differ, but one thing many bankers agree on is that growth depends largely on how well they cross-sell wealth management products to borrowers and depositors.

Capital Bank Financial (CBF) in Coral Gables, Fla., will revise certain financial statements in its 2012 annual report to reflect a better-than-expected balance sheet tied to a bank it bought.

National Bank Holdings (NBHC) in Greenwood Village, Colo., has received regulatory approval for its bank to pay a $313 million dividend to the holding company.

Safeguard Properties on Tuesday filed a motion to dismiss a fraud complaint by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan that seeks to bar the Cleveland property inspection company from doing business in Illinois because inspectors broke into occupied homes.

Recent legal settlements have compounded big banks' fears about pursuing M&A, U.S. Bancorp chief Richard Davis says.

The payments association’s proposal comes amid regulatory scrutiny of bank relationships with online lenders, and could affect financial institutions' dealings with a range of other industries.

Community Financial (TCFC) in Waldorf, Md., has named William Pasenelli, its president and chief financial officer, as its next chief executive.

First Marblehead (FMD) in Boston plans to change its name to Collegiate Trust Corp. and initiate a reverse stock split to keep trading on the New York Stock Exchange.