Bankcard originations hit a three-year high during the first five months of 2011, as banks eased their underwriting standards and started reextending credit to riskier borrowers, according to the credit bureau Equifax.

With wild swings in the stock market, negotiations over protections form big changes in the stock values of buyers and sellers are bogging down an already slow deals market.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency closed Lydian Private Bank in Palm Beach, Fla., on Friday. The $1.7 billion-asset bank is the 10th bank to fail in Florida this year.

Modern Woodmen Bank, a relatively small direct bank, had to build and maintain a website that delivers more than what its two tech staffers could handle alone.

B of A's plans to cut 3,500 jobs — and perhaps more — are the tip of the iceberg for the entire industry. Expenses are too high and revenues too low for most banks to avoid layoffs.

The Mortgage Bankers Association raised its 2011 forecast of residential originations on Friday, citing historically low mortgage rates that have ignited refinance activity. But the higher projections do not indicate a recovery in the housing market.

The U.S. credit card charge-off rate rose slightly in July, but delinquencies fell to an all-time low as consumers continued to pay their credit card bills on time, Moody's Investors Service said in a report released Aug. 19.

There is now a gold-rush mentality among developers looking to produce the next hit mobile-payment application. The latest example was a "Pitch That App!" that drew more than 100 participants.

Dearborn Bancorp in Michigan may need to restate its earnings for the quarter that ended June 30 pending the results of its latest examination by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

To survive, capital-starved Community Banks of Colorado has struck a deal to sell 16 branches as well as its name.

American Banker challenged the enforcement record of the FHA under the leadership of former commissioner David Stevens. During this period the program took important steps to reduce its risk.

More mortgage brokers are receiving notices from the FDIC that they may be sued for delivering bad loans to failed banks that were major wholesalers. But FDIC attorneys insist they are not targeting brokers.

While coaching is important, it would appear that “leading by example” is significantly more important.

PEWAUKIE, Wis. – Wisconsin’s credit unions will operate 95 branches inside elementary and high schools in the state this year, which is 18% of the branches available in the state, according to the Wisconsin CU League.

Sales of single-family existing homes fell 4% in July after a 1% increase in June, but condominium sales were unchanged month over month, according to the National Association of Realtors.

As of Thursday morning, the average weekly rate for a 30-year fixed-rate loan had fallen 17 basis points, to 4.15%, while the average 15-year rate had dropped 14 bps, to 3.36%.

Citigroup Inc. and Bank of America Corp. closed some of their card customers' accounts this week, citing data breaches at unidentified retailers. It was not immediately clear if both banks' customers were affected by a security failure at the same merchant.

In a rare Thursday failure, regulators shut a small Pennsylvania bank that serves the Orthodox Jewish community.

Great Southern Bancorp Inc. of Springfield, Mo., has received $57.9 million from the Treasury Department's Small Business Lending Fund and will use the proceeds to exit the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Traditionally, objections to a merger deal are primarily fought over Community Reinvestment Act and consumer protection concerns. But the Massachusetts Democrat raised a new concern by citing fears on the size of the combined bank.