Investar would acquire a bank with two branches in southeastern Louisiana.

Yes, an effective sales organization awakens customers to newly perceived needs. But it also markets the products that yield the highest return—not necessarily the ones customers would most want to buy.

KeyCorp (KEY) announced plans to offer new consumer, business and commercial credit cards this year.

Old National Bancorp (ONB) in Evansville, Ind., reported a small rise in fourth-quarter earnings, as higher expenses offset a rise in interest income.

Expenses weighed on UnionBanCal in San Francisco in the fourth quarter. Earnings at the $97 billion-asset company, which is wholly owned by Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, fell 4.7% from a year earlier, to $123 million.

UBS Chairman Axel Weber is urging fellow leaders of some of the world's biggest financial institutions to settle government probes into their alleged manipulation of a benchmark that determines the price at which banks lend to each other.

Interest income and fees boosted Chemical Financial's quarterly results.

TCF Financial (TCF) in Wayzata, Minn., will pay $10 million to settle an investigation by U.S. authorities into alleged money-laundering lapses.

JPMorgan Chase Chief Risk Officer John Hogan is taking a leave of absence to spend time with his family and friends, he said in a memo to his group on Friday.

The Thursday resignation of Square chief operating officer Keith Rabois stems from a sexual harassment allegation, according to the company.

IMGCAP(1)]

Owners of small businesses may feel more hopeful about the future, but their hiring plans remain on hold.

JPMorgan Chase (JPM) is pushing back against a shareholder proposal to let investors vote on whether the bank should consider taking itself apart.

Freshman lawmaker Rep. John Delaney, who used to head commercial lender CapitalSource, discussed his priorities as a new member of House Financial Services Committee.

The Little Rock, Ark., bank plans more deals in addition to its agreement to buy First National Bank of Shelby in North Carolina. Similar deals by other buyers could be on the horizon.

The country's largest banks are counting on mobile technology to help them keep customers, win new business and — especially at Citigroup and Bank of America — replace branches.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that President Obama did not have the authority a year ago when he filled three recess appointments to the NLRB — the same day he appointed Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Loan-loss reserves will soon reach a point of equilibrium with the size and risk profile of loan portfolios, making it harder for banks to reduce provisions.

Our analysis is agnostic on whether the costs are proportional to the benefits. But we find the claim that the CARD Act has had no cost to cardholders to be too hopeful based on current data.

Hancock Holding (HBHC) reported higher quarterly earnings after it cut costs and generated higher fee income.