On a recent flight, the gentleman next to me shared a banking story that made my day.

Signaling their optimism about the state of the economy, many bankers are predicting that problem loans will moderate and consumer lending will perk up over the next six months, according to a new FICO survey released Tuesday.

Preliminary data shows that growth in commercial and industrial lending decelerated for the first time in a year and a half. Banks that have reported continued momentum said that gains have come from signing up new customers and taking market share, but that overall credit demand remains tepid.

Banks announced 21 deals in March, capping the best quarter for M&A in nearly two years. Investment bankers say the momentum should continue to build throughout the year, adding that 2013 should be a particularly busy year of consolidation.

The two industries are still nursing their wounds over their bitter interchange feuds. Will the acrimony over swipe fees keep them from working together on mobile payments?

Consumers are becoming less satisfied with their credit cards rewards programs as conditions such as expiration dates and spending minimums have diminished the experience, according to a new survey.

The Justice Department alleges GFI Mortgage Bankers charged minority borrowers higher interest rates and fees based on race or national origin, but a lawyer for the company says the claims are weak. The move may embolden other banks to challenge the DOJ.

The Federal Reserve on Tuesday ordered Morgan Stanley (MS) to review thousands of foreclosures conducted by Saxon Mortgage Services, a mortgage-servicing unit it sold this year, and said it would levy fines against the company.

Each new breach erodes consumer trust a bit more.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) acknowledged Tuesday that it accidentally charged customers in some states twice for their debit card transactions.

Bank of America (BAC) has hired more than 90 small-business lenders in the Southeast as part of a broader push to add 1,000 relationship bankers throughout the country by the middle of the year.

David Wolman, author of "The End of Money," explains how banks can avoid being reduced to storage facilities as the world moves from paper bills and coins to mobile payments.

The Federal Housing Administration has made a last-minute attempt to soften new underwriting guidelines that penalized borrowers with ongoing credit disputes.

An April Fool's Day blog post by Movenbank founder Brett King poked fun at traditional banks, which have increasingly tried to lure customers to their branches with coffee, yoga classes and other untraditional perks.

Banks and credit unions are competing more than ever to try and win new business. Some are resurrecting giveaways and promotions to drum up clientele. Here are some notable promotions from recent years.

The Federal Trade Commission filed an injunction in federal court Monday charging that a web of defendants - including AMG Services Inc., several Internet-based lending companies and race car driver Scott Tucker - violated federal laws by deceiving consumers when providing and collecting on payday loans.

Surveys show that what Americans want most is a good job, no surprise there. Over the last few decades, the best jobs have been in the public sector and those requiring a college degree. But the productivity of a growing public sector already suffers from rising costs and diminishing returns that impede economic growth, as in Greece where public sector employment doubled in the last decade or in Spain, where youth unemployment is 50%.

IMGCAP(1)]

Until a few months ago, it was thought that 2012 might turn out to be a disaster year for loan production, one in which refinancings finally withered and home purchases continued to be anemic. But not anymore.