From the Department of "Who Knew?" … Music publishers and even soap makers have a better chance at an M&A frenzy than bankers these days, according to a research firm.

Bill Beckmann took on a job that has become among the most daunting among executive jobs in the mortgage industry: President and chief executive of Merscorp Inc.

New regulations reducing debit card interchange fees are causing some banks to charge customers more for using debit cards, which could drive consumers to increase their use of credit cards, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

SunTrust Banks Inc. in Atlanta said Friday that it has repurchased more than 4 million warrants it issued to the Treasury Department three years ago as part of its participation in the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Alternative capital instruments would allow mutually held banks to become more vital providers of financial services.

Contrary to many community banks, Eagle Bancorp of Bethesda, Md., has strong loan demand and lacks sufficient deposits to cover the loans. Eagle CEO Ron Paul and analysts cite the relative economic health of the Washington area for Eagle's growth, leading to a need for creative solutions.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has issued cease-and-desist orders against Intercredit Bank in Miami and Border Capital Bank in McAllen, Texas, citing credit and capital concerns.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should ease restrictions on sales of foreclosed properties and let individual investors buy up to 50 each, says Lewis S. Ranieri.

When looking for fraud, merchants and card issuers typically see only their half of a customer interaction, and getting useful data can be like listening to one half of a phone call. A London payment processor seeks to change this by giving both players the full conversation.

Sandler O'Neill & Partners analyst Kevin Fitzsimmons on Friday lowered his 2012 earnings estimates for 11 regional and community banks amid concern about weak loan demand and mounting pressure on net interest margins.

The Mortgage Bankers Association will resume running the day-to-day operations of its MISMO subsidiary on Dec. 1, taking the task back from Merscorp. Discussions on the move intensified amid MERS' regulatory scrutiny.

Shareholders at Nara Bancorp and Center Financial have approved the planned merger of the two Los Angeles companies.

Two reports by the Federal Housing Finance Agency's Inspector General are critical of the agency for the lack of accredited examiners and its failure to force Fannie Mae to create an oversight program.

RICHMOND, Va. – New Generations FCU opened a branch inside North Richmond School Wednesday morning.

VIENNA, Va. – Navy FCU will open a new branch Monday near Fort Carson, Colo., to serve 66,000 Department of Defense personnel and their families.

Some of the biggest players in Wall Street's mortgage finance assembly line — including JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Inc. and Credit Suisse Group — are asking a federal judge to dismiss a nearly $2 billion civil fraud lawsuit filed by the trustee of a defunct mortgage lender.

Dodd-Frank will prove hugely expensive and still fail in its main mission of preventing the next financial crisis. Blame Washington and its flawed assumption that it can micro-manage the banking system.

A district attorney in Dallas is challenging the mortgage industry's system for electronically transferring mortgages, alleging that Bank of America and others filed false documents through and circumvented mortgage registration requirements.

To hedge against bad surprises in a seller's portfolio, some buyers are making part of the payout contingent on the performance of certain loans or batches of them. If things go well, the practice can help the seller, too.

First National was looking to sell – for the second time. Kevin Fowler, whose return to banking as president of Rockwall Bancshares followed a failed bid for office, was looking to enter the Dallas market. A match was made.