SCRANTON, Penn. – Members of Tobyhanna FCU brought their postcard flashlight mailing to the branch to decode a prize for a chance to win loan-related discounts, a $10,000 shopping spree, or a 32” flat screen TV as part of the grand opening of the credit union’s new branch and administrative offices.

Consumer delinquencies continued to climb in the second quarter with nine of 11 loan categories showing increases, according to a study released Wednesday by the American Bankers Association.

Several large banks are starting to charge customers a fee each month they use a debit card for purchases. The worst offender is Bank of America, which is implementing a $5 monthly fee.

Sen. Richard Durbin, who has loudly criticized banks for raising debit-card fees, accused Bank of America Corp. directly this week of attempting to drive customers toward credit cards.

Bank of America this week made the decision to exit retail lending in six low volume states: Alabama, Alaska, Montana, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Data released Wednesday by the U.S. Small Business Administration shows that banks are willing to finance small businesses — as long as the loans are backed by a government guarantee.

With M&A and the economy at a standstill, bank executives will have a hard time explaining how they can grow when they report third-quarter results.

A number of struggling homeowners were helped by an Obama administration loan modification program in August, but the program has helped far fewer people than initially forecast.

Bryan McDonald will become president and chief executive of Whidbey Island Bank in Coupeville, Wash., on Jan. 1.

Huntington Bancshares Inc. of Columbus, Ohio, and Security California Bancorp of Riverside, Calif., will add offices in the coming months.

Bank executive makes good on promise to repel off building for a charitable cause.

Patriot Financial has money to invest, but before community bank executives pick up the phone to request a meeting they should know what the private-equity firm wants and doesn't want.

Visa Inc. has hired Gavin Krugel to work on its global mobile team, in an effort to reach unbanked consumers in developing economies.

American Banker editors Rob Blackwell and Maria Aspan discuss one of Dodd-Frank's most controversial components.

Citing strong execution across each of its businesses, Global Payments Inc. on Oct. 4 reported fiscal first-quarter revenue of $542.8 million, up 23.3% from $440.1 million during the same period last year.

The online book store's line of tablets could help shepherd older customers into online banking and offer an ad platform, but there's a downside.

A 15% annual rate of growth in commercial lending at big banks helped absorb surging deposits, according to preliminary data. But loan growth was weak at small banks, leaving bulges in holdings of cash and securities alone.

PHOENIX, N.Y. – Liverpool FCU is taking over Empower FCU’s student-run operations at John Birdlebough High School here.

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The brief failure of two air conditioning systems responsible for keeping a computer network in Summerville from overheating took Heritage Trust FCU’s ATMs offline Saturday morning.

When the profits and losses of the debit card unit suffer as regulation clips revenues, the banks increase fees, discouraging debit card usage. Any pretense to customer focus goes out the window.