Over the last week Bank of America angered the groupies of Francesca Lia Block, a prolific young-adult author who wants to modify the loan on her L.A. home — and took more heat for the guy it killed (on paper).

The $25 billion mortgage settlement and other government aid programs for troubled homeowners, including Harp 2.0, are forcing cost-cutting banks into a tricky balancing act.

BankAtlantic Bancorp Inc. (BBX) of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said Thursday that it has canceled plans for a potential capital raise after reaching a new deal to sell its thrift to BB&T Corp. (BBT)

BancTrust Financial Group Inc. (BTFG) in Mobile, Ala., has put itself up for sale after its bid to raise capital from two private-equity groups fell through.

FHFA's watchdog said during housing bubble Fannie Mae frequently made "variances" to its own lending standards, which hurt the quality of its portfolio.

Directors at HarborOne CU, New England's second largest credit union, voted unanimously last night to put the issue of whether to convert to a state chartered cooperative savings bank to the credit union giant's 180,000 members.

CFPB chief says while agency was charged with writing regulations for everyone, situations exist when an institution's size should be taken into account.

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Commerce in Worcester, Mass., has agreed to buy the parent of Mercantile Bank & Trust Co. in Boston for $26.5 million in cash.

NEW YORK — Lower late payments and increased card use helped Discover Financial Services (DFS) post a 36% increase in fiscal first-quarter profit to beat analysts' estimates.

In the depths of the financial crisis, the FDIC under Chairman Sheila Bair extended 100% insurance coverage to non-deposit transactions balances of all banks. Known as the Transaction Account Guarantee program, this extraordinary extension of FDIC insurance coverage to all transaction balances was a good idea at the time, but should be allowed to expire at the end of the year.

The Obama administration wants the agency to give more consideration of tool meant to help troubled borrowers keep their homes.

Discover Financial Services is partnering with the operator of Puerto Rico's ATM and debit network, as part of its ongoing efforts to increase acceptance abroad by teaming up with local networks.

Moving toward fully electronic payments is a matter of public health and social justice, according to author David Wolman.

PSB Bancorp in Wisconsin is requiring Marathon State Bank to pay out a special dividend before the deal closes. While unusual now, the move harkens back to a pre-crisis tactic that existed when capital wasn't a concern.

The state of Hawaii is considering using federal stimulus money to create a "clean economy bank" that would make low-interest rate loans to clean energy companies.

American Express Co. is partnering with Office Depot Inc. to offer its prepaid cards at some office supply stores across the country.

Sales officers and pricing desks frequently misjudge customers' sensitivity to rates and overpay for deposits. Similarly, banks that underestimate duration leave money on the table.

HSBC Holdings PLC's (HBC) Canadian unit said Wednesday it will wind down its consumer finance operation in Canada following an extensive review and after having failed to find a buyer for the business.

The impact of the so-called Durbin Amendment on small financial institutions was a hot topic Wednesday at a credit-union conference in Washington.