Banking policy wonks might want to disengage from their sober debate about vice presidential nominee's views on Dodd-Frank and GSEs and check out the social-media phenomenon that Ryan gags have become.

Shares of United Bancorp (UBCP) fell sharply Thursday after the Martins Ferry, Ohio, company announced that it was cutting its quarterly dividend in half in order to preserve capital.

The Treasury Department will sell $381.5 million of preferred shares in M&T, paying the last of the Buffalo bank's Tarp tab.

Square is giving small merchants more flexibility in how they pay for credit-card transactions, increasing competition with PayPal's rival card reader.

Angry investors say the card giant's reputation has been sullied by claims that it has used deceptive methods to sign consumers up for payment and identity theft protection.

A $1.7 billion portfolio of non- performing, federally insured home loans will be offered for sale at auction next month as the government seeks to reduce losses from mounting foreclosures.

Banks have been talking for years about using plain language in their disclosure notices, but only recently have they started to take action.

A new joint venture between retailers and banks takes aim at PayPal, Google Wallet and Isis.

Old National Bancorp (ONB) in Evansville, Ind., will sell or close 27 branches as part of ongoing efforts to cut costs.

Bank of America said it hasn't yet refinanced a "significant number" of loans as part of the industry's $25 billion settlement of foreclosure abuses.

Wells Fargo (WFC) has formed a group dedicated to serving residential developer customers on the East Coast, Texas and in the Midwest.

In a plan to develop a mobile wallet of their own, a joint venture of retailers — including Wal-Mart and Target — is working with banks to provide a merchant-friendly alternative to Isis, PayPal and Google Wallet.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has lifted a regulatory order against Alaska Pacific Bancshares (AKPB) in Juneau.

Automobile finance firm Global Lending Services has acquired subprime auto loan originator, Resurgent Auto Finance, and has secured fresh capital for growth.

Aspiring bank buyers including Scott Custer of Piedmont Community Bank Holdings believe that proposed capital rules could reduce pricing and premiums for sellers.

New proposals would require appraisals for "higher-risk" mortgages, and compel lenders to notify borrowers of their right to an appraisal report. But loans meeting the special QM standard would enjoy a lighter touch.

Simmons First National (SFNC) in Pine Bluff, Ark., has outlined a succession plan as it readies for the retirement of its chairman and chief executive, J. Thomas May.

Beltway politics is hurting bank M&A, consumer confidence — but it's also time for bankers to stop opposing Dodd-Frank, says the former Obama chief of staff.

Low interest rates have allowed banks of all sizes to rotate out of time deposits and build up transaction accounts, but key differences in funding profiles persist across asset classes.