WASHINGTON — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. warned banks under its watch Wednesday about the risks of acquiring participations in loans while relying too heavily on originating institutions for the underwriting.

The FDIC highlighted continued use of "alternative financial services" in its second-ever survey reporting the share of households that are unbanked or underbanked.

Executives clashed over whether to add or kill branches, parried M&A rumors, defended big banks and braced for economic slowdown at the Barclays financial services conference in New York.

Zions Bancorp. (ZION) is hopeful that it will exit the Troubled Asset Relief Program in late September or early in the fourth quarter.

BNP Paribas SA, France's biggest bank, embarked on a five-year plan to expand services to affluent U.S. clients as the company looks to businesses beyond its core European market for growth.

"No financial institution's collapse could sink our economy"? Funny. "To accord nonbanks parity with banks, just regulate nonbanks more strictly"? Hilarious. But here's a real howler: "We have to go on subsidizing home building and financing."

Regions has retooled its wealth management operations, an effort that was partly spurred by the company's sale of Morgan Keegan earlier this year.

Banks as a whole continue to invest heavily in bonds issued by Fannie and Freddie, but strategic orientations vary widely across individual companies. Use this interactive graphic to see portfolio composition for big holding companies.

The Fed may be considering more quantitative easing or keeping interest rates artificially low. That's not what leaders of small banks want to hear.

Banks have to spend money to make money and avoid overreliance on acquisitions, BB&T's CEO said in discussing plans for de novo branches and other investments.

A judge has dismissed most of the claims against Michael Perry, but the SEC is not backing down from its claim that he misled investors.

JPMorgan Chase (JPM) recently dismissed 74 employees in Florida as the bank shuffles staff to accommodate demand for mortgage refinances.

The mother of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau spent much of her recent prime-time performance accusing banks of dishonesty. Perhaps she should take a gander in the mirror.

With consumer mobile access for banking channels and services growing, loosening privacy data rules may be the edge needed to combat fraud.

Leaders of small banks do not want the Fed to purchase more bonds or keep interest rates low. Instead, they want the Fed stand down and let the economy heal on its own.

The acting director of the FHFA said Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac need to increase the fees they charge to guarantee mortgages in states where it's costlier for them to deal with bad debt.

MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. -- The vacant Ponderosa Steakhouse property soon will be home to a branch for Hudson Heritage FCU.

CHELSEA, Mass. – Fast-growing Metro CU opened a new branch in Boston City Hall Plaza it acquired in the recently completed acquisition of Massachusetts State Employees CU.

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Associated Banc-Corp (ASBC) is eyeing acquisitions of community banks, but its chief executive says it has little interest in failed banks and would only consider deals within its existing markets.