WASHINGTON — Democratic Rep. Gary Ackerman plans to introduce legislation aimed at jumpstarting the housing market by providing two new enticements to homebuyers.

Investors Bancorp doesn't plan to stop with its deal for Brooklyn Federal. The Short Hills, N.J., mutual thrift would like to do "one or two more" before converting to an all-stock company.

The recent turmoil in the financial markets has not yet altered banks' immediate technology spending, Jack Henry & Associates says, but it "adds to concerns" for their long-term plans.

Capitol Bancorp Ltd. is getting closer to exiting Colorado with an agreement to sell Mountain View Bank of Commerce.

Patriot National Bancorp Inc. in Stamford, Conn., saw its losses widen during the second quarter compared to a year earlier, due largely to expenses associated with a turnaround plan.

The Onion's reference to the world's largest payment network as a "lender" probably smarts more than being (jokingly) called a "massive scam."

CHARLESTON, S.C. – CPM Federal Credit Union is consolidating two branches into a single location.

BAY CITY, Mich. – FinancialEdge Community Credit Union has formed a partnership with an organization that serves people with special needs.

Those tech companies provide an allocative service with fewer employees, but they also don't have regulators and don't need retail branches. Perhaps Apple's the better benchmark.

First Financial Bancorp in Cincinnati has found a way to put some of its capital to work: a big branch deal with Flagstar Bancorp Inc.

FirstMerit has succeeded at getting its online banking users to immediately adopt a new mobile service from the vendor Fiserv, which said 11% of the bank's active online banking users enrolled in the first week.

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Bank of America Corp. may settle a state and federal probe of foreclosure practices in a deal that lets New York proceed with an inquiry into securitizations, said two people with direct knowledge of the talks.

Deals will stall in the short term as volatility complicates stock-related transactions and creates uncertainty. But a low-rate environment will crimp growth and ultimately drive consolidation.

Profits at State Bank Financial in Atlanta said its second-quarter profit fell 10% from the same period last year as gains in interest income were offset by higher expenses and an increase in its loan-loss provision.

Saehan Bancorp in Los Angeles has reported a profit in two straight quarters after losing more than $75 million in 2009 and 2010.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is claiming the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has overstepped its bounds by soliciting comments on its nonbank supervision program.

New guidelines advise using stronger authentication for business accounts, but more community banks use it for consumer accounts.

The investment firm Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Inc. is advising investors to stop dumping their shares in Westamerica Bancorporation.

Mercantile Bancorp once believed that its bank in sleepy Quincy, Ill. was not enough. Now, that bank might hold the key to the company's survival.