At least a dozen community banks have planned new headquarters in the past year, either by building offices or leasing new digs. Some of the banks outgrew older offices, while others took advantage of low interest rates and great pricing to make the move.

Dwight Utz wanted to accelerate his North Carolina company's growth by bringing in private equity. Less than year after ECB's plans fell through, the company agreed to sell to Crescent Financial, which has plenty of backing from private equity firms.

PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust has agreed to buy $452 million of nonperforming whole loans from undisclosed sellers, according to a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Bankers who think the government should have a lighter touch when it comes to prescribing rules for their industry may have an ally in the American people.

Buying CIT, a specialty lender, would add high-yielding loans without saddling Wells Fargo with more deposits and branches.

About one in five consumers buying a credit score from a credit bureau receives a "meaningfully" different score than their lender would, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Regulators are barring a Minnesota bank holding company from paying shareholders and some creditors until it takes steps to boost its capital.

Banker sentiment echoes Google research suggesting consumers expect sub-five-second mobile app downloads.

Credit card collection efforts appear to be more successful than before the recession, controversial practices notwithstanding. This interactive graphic shows recovery and chargeoff data for large lenders.

Urban Trust, a Florida bank, had been under fire from consumer groups for allowing a payday lender to load loans onto its prepaid debit cards.

Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez pressured the city of Saint Paul to withdraw a Supreme Court case that was supported by banks and threatened to undercut a key way the government targets lenders over fair lending laws. Republicans are crying foul.

Landmark Credit Union joins a growing list of tax-exempt institutions finalizing deals to buy banks or thrifts.

The retail services business for Alliance Data Systems (ADS) has signed a long-term agreement to provide co-branded credit card services to resort developer Westgate Resorts in Orlando, Fla.

Ellie Mae is adding support for automated good faith estimates to its mortgage handling software.

First Capital (FCAP) in Corydon, Ind., will record a pretax charge of $650,000 for the third quarter tied to a voluntary early retirement program.

Private equity may have played a role in the deal. Crescent, led by Scott Custer, has PE backing, while an infusion set for ECB fell through earlier this year.

In former FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair's insider account of the financial crisis and its aftermath, Bair provides a detailed look at regulatory battles and delivers a scathing portrayal of Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. She also offers key recommendations for reform, including abolishing the OCC.

Mortgage firms including Bank of America that repeatedly ignored rules meant to improve service for struggling homeowners said they're on the verge of complying with standards ordered in a $25 billion settlement.

United Community Financial (UCFC) in Youngstown, Ohio, has reduced its classified assets nearly in half through a bulk sale.