Massive regulation provides a deep moat protecting large financial institutions against competition from community banks and innovators.

UBS AG must pay about $1.5 billio) to U.S., U.K. and Swiss regulators for trying to rig global interest rates, triple the penalties levied against Barclays Plc.

A year ago we asked BankThink's regular contributors to make bold predictions about 2012. Here's a look back at their forecasts and the actual outcomes.

Royal Bancshares of Pennsylvania (RBPAA) in Narberth, Pa., has hired a former executive at PNC Financial Services Group (PNC) to run its bank.

Bankers are applauding the opening salvo of a Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. project to focus on community bank troubles, but are already looking ahead to the next phases.

The company landed $85 million to fuel organic growth at a time when most banks are attracting large investments for acquisitions.

Berkshire Hills Bancorp (BHLB) in Pittsfield, Mass., has given Michael Daly, its president and chief executive, the added title of chairman.

White House officials have approached American Express Co. (AXP) Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Chenault about joining President Barack Obama's second-term administration, possibly as Treasury secretary.

Until recently, the card resided in the wallet of Jerome Svigals, one of the engineers who invented it when he worked at IBM in the 1960s.

The economy may be improving, but banks appear unlikely to regain the creditworthiness they enjoyed before the financial crisis any time soon.

JPMorgan Chase (JPM) has named a new chief executive of mortgage banking as part of a broader plan to better align mortgage lending with its other consumer and retail initiatives.

Bank of America Corp., the best performer in the Dow Jones Industrial Average for 2012, has more than doubled since the start of the year as the company rebuilds capital and investor confidence.

Its purpose was to study what consumers know about dispute resolution clauses. This is particularly important because most checking accountholders are covered by these clauses and may not be aware of them.

Consumers remain cautious about overextending themselves and card issuers are still wary of offering credit to those less likely to repay.

Michael Tierney's challenge next year at Flagstar Bancorp is twofold: find ways to go on the offensive while continuing to resolve lingering issues at the Michigan company.

The credit might have been "gold-gilded," but it did not make sense, the first test that a credit must pass.

Dan Bass has left FBR Capital Markets to establish an investment banking platform at Performance Trust Capital Partners.

Oneida Financial in New York is expanding its insurance business with its purchase of McMahon, Fenaroli and White, which operates Schenectady Insuring Agency in Schenectady.

Payments upstarts like Dwolla and Chirpify are aiming to capitalize on social media's popularity. But the question remains whether consumers will flock to a system that lets the world know what they're buying.

Every banker is under scrutiny, but last year we pegged 10 executives as potential news makers for 2012. Some made big headlines; others seemed to get through the year without making much noise. Here is a recap.