The Treasury Department announced it will auction off warrants today to purchase the common stock of Sterling Bancshares Inc. in Houston.

Three and a half years after selling Harbor Florida Bancshares Inc. at the top of the market, the company's former executives have decided it's time to buy.

WASHINGTON — Two days ahead of the official start of a conference on regulatory reform legislation, lawmakers were staking out positions on key issues and hinting at potential compromises.

An estimated 452 different collection agencies and creditors are named in 482 consumer statute lawsuits filed nationwide in the second half of May, according to data from U.S. District Court complaint dockets. In the first half of May, consumers sued an estimated 425 agencies and creditors in 495 consumer statute lawsuits.

The Federal Trade Commission approved a final settlement order with Dave & Buster's Holdings Inc., an entertainment and restaurant chain. The final order settles charges that the company failed to secure customers' sensitive credit and debit card information, resulting in "several hundred thousand dollars" in fraudulent charges. The FTC did not release an exact total.

The Treasury Department said Tuesday it plans to sell its 2.62 million warrants to buy Sterling Bancshares Inc. stock Wednesday.

U.S. consumers took on $1 billion more in debts in April, even as credit card balances declined for the 19th straight month, according to the Federal Reserve's monthly G.19 consumer credit report.

HARRISBURG, Penn. – Bellco Community CU is introducing a new branch in Gettysburg today.

SAGINAW, Mich. – Wildfire CU expanded its presence by opening a new high tech branch here yesterday.

DENVER – Bellco CU has signed an ATM outsourcing pact with Diebold, which will include upgrading its ATMs for enhanced deposit automation functionality.

Community Valley Bank reported that total assets rose nearly 10% in the first quarter. Heading into its third year in business, the El Centro, Calif., bank said Friday that it expects to become profitable in 2010 based on growth in earning assets.

Tri-Valley Bank announced Friday that a private investor group has terminated a $6 million stock-purchase agreement.

Boston Private Financial Holdings Inc. plans to raise up to $40 million of capital to help pay back funds received through the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Farm banks largely stayed out of the muck the past few years, but that hasn't stopped regulators from trying to rein in these lenders.

In practice, creating a bureaucracy will produce more problems than it will solve, by putting government in the business of deciding what products are right for bank customers.

SAN DIEGO-Morgan Courtney was recently named by San Diego-based USA Federal Credit Union as vice president of Overseas Operations. Talking to Credit Union Journal readers from Japan, below Mr. Courtney talks about the challenges and unique nature of overseeing branches located in foreign countries.

Asset Acceptance Capital Corp., a Warren, Mich.-based debt buyer currently under federal investigation for its collection practices, said Friday that lenders agreed to loosen some restrictions in its own credit facility and increase its borrowing limit.

More banks in the Southeast are likely to fall victim to the financial crisis, a Federal Reserve official said Friday.

By missing a sixth quarterly dividend payment, due in May under the Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program, a Southern California bank became poised to test how the government will treat repeat delinquencies in the program.

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators shut three more banks on Friday, including $2.8 billion-asset TierOne Bank of Lincoln, Neb., a struggling 103 year-old thrift.