American Express' approach to prepaid has hardly been by-the-book, but its latest step is to partner with Barnes & Noble on a new reloadable card.

Clifton Savings Bancorp (CSBK) in New Jersey said Wednesday that it is making a concerted effort to increase its lending in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods so that it can improve its Community Reinvestment Act rating and follow through with its plan to become a 100% stock-owned company.

Hawthorn Bancshares (HWBK) in Lee's Summit, Mo., has repaid $12 million of the $30.2 million in funds it received under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

PlainsCapital's relatively weak price may give aspiring sellers a reason to pause, though industry observers say there are reasons why this deal failed to meet the hot premiums that other Texas banks have commanded.

In their path-breaking 2009 book "This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly" economists Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff conclude it never is.

Angry shareholders and protesters pelted CEO Brian Moynihan with insults and complained about everything from Countrywide to coal ash. Drama aside, management prevailed in shareholder votes on executive pay and other matters.

Bankers and prepaid card executives defended the industry’s much-criticized fees on Wednesday, saying that prices and practices have improved as the industry has matured.

PacWest Bancorp in Los Angeles is attempting a hostile takeover just days after unseating Umpqua Holdings to buy American Perspective Bank. Industry observers say the company's newfound buying aggression might make it a better seller someday and give its PE investors a tidy exit.

Digital Risk said it is starting a task force that aims to set best practices for mortgage risk due diligence.

First National Corporation in Strasburg, Va., is planning to raise up to $11.8 million in a rights offering and intends to use the proceeds to bolster its capital levels, invest in its expansion and perhaps buy back preferred shares issued under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

SpringLeaf Finance Corp., which is partly controlled by the U.S. government, has entered into another round of layoffs, and may have to file for bankruptcy protection, according to industry advisors close to the company.

Business clients that receive thousands of checks per month typically can't get automated bulk check processing services from a small bank. And if the services matter to those clients, the small banks lose their business to larger rivals.

The legislation would ban high-to-low reordering of transactions and limit the number of overdraft fees that a bank can charge each year.

Some banks are missing out on a large opportunity to offer prepaid cards to potential customers, 15% of whom get turned down for traditional products, according to prepaid specialist The Bancorp.

JPMorgan Chase's new prepaid card, Liquid, is being marketed as an alternative to a bank account, but its underlying terms make clear that it's more of a complement to one.

Enterprise Financial Services (EFSC) in St. Louis is aiming to repay at least part of the $35 million it received from the Troubled Asset Relief Program by the end of this year.

The American Bankers Association and its insurance subsidiary are urging lawmakers to immediately reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program, arguing that a failure to do so would only place further stress on the nation's housing sector.

Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC), the largest U.S. mortgage lender, said federal prosecutors may seek damages and penalties after investigating whether it violated anti- discrimination laws while financing homeowners.

B of A's annual meeting drew hundreds of protesters, and shareholders complained to CEO Brian Moynihan about the company’s foreclosure practices.

Freddie Mac has picked a former chief executive of an online securities brokerage firm to be its new CEO, according to published reports.