WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner reiterated support Wednesday for mortgage principal reductions at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

A surge in mortgage lending powered Cardinal Financial (CFNL) in McLean, Va., to a $7.7 million profit in the first quarter, an increase of nearly 47% from the same period in 2011.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said it plans to follow the Justice Department's lead in pursuing fair lending violations when a policy has a disparate impact on a group of borrowers, unintentional or not.

A proxy battle at First Financial Northwest has gotten nasty after an activist investor labeled the company's leaders as "idiots" who are "deficient in judgment or lacking in character."

The pace of bank failures will slow considerably this year as the industry continues to recover from the real estate bust, according to the acting head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Banks are clamoring to lend to the most creditworthy small businesses, even as credit availability remains broadly limited.

Cathay General Bancorp of Los Angeles reported first-quarter earnings of $24.8 million, up roughly 38% from a year earlier, as credit quality improved

Citigroup said late Tuesday that it takes "seriously" the shareholder vote rejecting the bank's executive compensation plans, and that it will meet with some investors to understand their concerns.

We are in danger of a harmful proposal, which could be implemented this week. The proposal by the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service would require all banks located within the United States to report interest payments made to nonresident alien depositors. The IRS in turn would exchange this information with foreign governments for data about Americans in those countries.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc.'s (PNC) first-quarter profit fell 3.8% as the lender saw higher noninterest expense, masking a sharp decline in credit-loss provisions.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp.'s (BK) first-quarter earnings fell 1% from a prior-year period that didn't have a credit loss provision as the trust bank's fee revenue also dipped.

West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw filed a lawsuit Tuesday against seven unlicensed debt collection agencies he accuses of using unfair tactics to receive money from consumers.

Huntington Bancshares Inc.'s (HBAN) first-quarter earnings rose 21% reflecting the continued improvement of credit quality.

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TAMPA, Fla. – USF FCU, which serves the University of South Florida, recently worked with USF Health to place an ATM in the hospital’s new downtown medical research center--the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation.

A group of fair housing advocates said Tuesday it plans to file a discrimination complaint against U.S. Bancorp, claiming the bank failed to maintain and market real estate-owned properties in minority neighborhoods.

Fulton Financial (FULT) in Lancaster, Pa., said Tuesday that its first-quarter earnings climbed nearly 13% from the same period last year, to $38.1 million, as strong refinancing activity, improved asset quality and sharply lower funding costs more than offset sluggish commercial loan growth.

U.S. Bancorp and Comerica produced strong loan growth in the first quarter, but sustaining it partly will depend on converting commercial loan commitments into loans — something, they say, that is easier said than done.