Loan growth helped power BankUnited (BKU) in Miami Lakes, Fla., to a 9% rise in quarterly earnings.

Bank of America, sued by U.S. attorneys in August over an $850 million mortgage bond, faces three additional Justice Department civil probes over mortgage-backed securities, according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation.

Signature Bank (SBNY) in New York recorded its 16th consecutive quarter of record earnings, driven by a 28% increase in its asset base.

Synovus Financial (SNV) reported a big increase in quarterly income, but missed estimates as interest income and mortgage banking revenue fell.

Northrim BanCorp (NRIM) in Anchorage, Alaska, has agreed to buy Alaska Pacific Bancshares (AKPB) in Juneau.

Heritage Oaks Bancorp (HEOP) in Paso Robles, Calif., has agreed to buy Mission Community Bancorp (MISN) in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Third-quarter earnings at Zions (ZION) more than tripled from a year earlier after the company bought back a series of preferred stock.

Favorable trends in its flagship credit card business helped Discover Financial Services (DFS) post solid results in the third quarter.

John Marshall Bank in Reston, Va., plans to sell up to $30 million worth of common stock.

In a 113-page brief filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals, the Fed argued it had followed congressional intent in drafting the provision required under the Dodd-Frank Act, which mandated that the central bank establish how much banks can charge merchants in interchange fees for debit cards.

Pacific National Bank in Miami has found a buyer.

The cost to originate a home loan is skyrocketing as lenders try to comply with stricter rules to catch problem loans. Technology would better automate the loan process, but can small lenders justify the investment?

Northwest Bancshares (NWBI) in Warren, Pa., reported a 12% rise in quarterly earnings as its asset quality improved and its costs fell.

Bankers must resist the urge to obsess over the hassles of QM and other new rules, says Jeff Plagge, the new chairman of the American Bankers Association and CEO of Northwest Financial in Iowa. Doing so distracts them from adequately serving customers and contributing to economic growth, he says.

CFPB director Richard Cordray told attendees at the American Bankers Association's annual conference that the bureau will be flexible with banks that make "good faith" efforts to comply by January.

Arrow Financial (AROW) in Glens Falls, N.Y., attributed a dip in third-quarter profits to the continued low interest rate environment.

First Niagara Financial Group (FNFG) in Buffalo, N.Y., has promoted executive John Golding to senior director of small-business banking.

Seacoast Banking Corp. of Florida (SBCF) is shifting to a more heavily stock-based payment structure for its directors.

Massachusetts homeowners facing foreclosure can expect improved protections under regulations filed by the state's Division of Banks that prevent national and state lenders from foreclosing on a property if an application for a loan modification is in process.

The person-to-person payments market is heating up and has banks going head-to-head with a pack of crafty upstarts. At stake is a service that, after numerous false starts, may be on the verge of replacing cash for a wide range of transactions.