Despite some notable gains in 2011, for senior women bankers it was a year of two steps forward and one step back.

The former chief executive of Butler Bank in Lowell, Mass., has been banned from the banking business and fined $225,000 in connection with the thrift's failure last year.

Impending slowdowns at the post office could hasten consumers' move to online bill pay — a boost for bankers.

As non-profit 501 (c) 3's around the country make a mad dash for end of the year donations, it gives me some pause for thought about the whole nature of "giving."

Umpqua Bank in Portland, Ore., has become the latest bank to be sued for allegedly manipulating the way in which it processed debit card transactions in order to rake in more overdraft fees.

As banks look for ways to get revenue from free services like bill pay, they risk becoming a target of public outcry, as Verizon Wireless has in recent days over a short-lived plan to assess a $2 fee for certain bill payments.

HomeTrust Bank in Asheville, N.C., will convert from a mutual thrift to a stock-owned bank in order to raise capital for future organic growth and possible acquisitions within North Carolina.

PointBank is looking to replace lost checking-account revenue by boosting its social media presence.

Concerned about robberies, Chappell Hill Bank began encouraging patrons to bring legally concealed weapons into its branch. Now the bank's unconventional CEO needs to find ways to bring in loans and reduce costs to ensure long-term survival.

Ahead of the planned sale of its credit card arm to Capital One Financial Corp., HSBC North America has renewed its private-label credit card agreements with Saks Inc. and three other retailers.

With all eyes on Wal-Mart as a potential disruptive force in the banking world, some might overlook major recent innovations coming out of the No. 2 retailer, Target.

Lending officers should tempt consumers with the popular pantry item to test their self-control. Those who can't resist are less likely to pay back their loans.

Private Bank of Buckhead in Atlanta is looking to open its second branch in suburban Decatur.

To a consumer, reloadable prepaid cards may look and act like debit cards, but to a banker they come loaded with a distinctly different set of risks.

Has the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, with over 500 employees and growing like cancer, actually protected any consumers yet? Well, next best thing. It garners headlines nearly daily in lobbying to gain full powers by getting Cordray confirmed. Dodd-Frank says the CFPB must have a confirmed director to fire from all barrels.

Banks are between a rock and a hard place these days in figuring out how to recoup the cost of doing business without sparking a public outcry.

A leading indicator of future home sales jumped 7.3% in the November to its highest level in more than 19 months, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Average weekly fixed rates for mortgages inched up a bit but are still ending the year near their all-time historic lows, according to Freddie Mac.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency on Thursday said it has directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to implement a congressionally mandated increase in their loan guarantee fees on April 1. The initial rise will be 10 basis points, but additional increases may be coming, said the FHFA's acting director, Edward DeMarco.

A startup aims to make alternative payment options as streamlined as using bank-issued cards online by removing the need to authenticate the user at a separate website.