The question of long-term viability is what gets progressive managers looking at the bank charter. And, access to the capital markets may be critically linked to viability.

The failure of our leaders to communicate the true nature of the CPP, and the media's mischaracterization of it, did severe and unnecessary damage to confidence in our nation's banking industry.

The Federal Trade Commission has concluded a case against collection agency Academy Collection Service Inc. (ACS) and alleged Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) violations by imposing civil penalties totaling $675,000 against Albert S. Bastian and Keith L. Hurt III.

Lawsuits citing alleged Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) violations reached an all-time mark in 2009 at 8,287, easily topping the record of 5,188 set a year earlier, according to data from U.S. District Court complaint dockets.

Financial services companies currently face the highest card default and charge-off rates in more than 20 years, and uncollected debt is expected to grow through the end of 2009. As debt rises and internal resources shrink, the job of collections increasingly falls to customer care.

Losses on commercial real estate loans pose the biggest risk to U.S. banks this year, troubling smaller lenders while unlikely to threaten the entire financial system.

Imagine trying to persuade regulators to let a Michigan de novo expand by eight times the goal of its initial business plan on the eve of the economic meltdown.

E-mail Darren Waggoner at darren.waggoner@sourcemedia.com to comment on this developing story.

CALEDONIA TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Security CU will open its 12th branch today in the building that formerly housed Cruisers Auto Wash.

BADEN, Penn. – Ambridge Area FCU has opened a student branch in Ambridge Area High School.

The $1.2 billion-asset company said Tuesday in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it exchanged $1.1 million of fixed-rate subordinated notes for 2.2 million shares of common stock in a deal with seven investors, including one board member.

Upon disclosing its third and largest branch deal Tuesday, Amcore Financial Inc. made another announcement: its capital ratios are finally headed in the right direction.

For the third consecutive month, the Credit Manager's Index is signaling that the recession is over and the economy is expanding, according to a report by the National Association of Credit Management (NACM).

Sun American Bank has failed to submit an acceptable capital plan to regulators, the Federal Reserve disclosed Monday.

Like a lot of companies, TLCM Holdings LLC in Richardson, Texas, was shopping for a failing bank. Its plan: transform the target's business model to provide a secondary market for bank loans.

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah First FCU said it is moving its headquarters into a building it recently acquired in the downtown area here.

SAN ANTONIO – Security Service FCU has signed with Stripes LLC to provide its members with access to ATMs at 500 Stripes and Town & Country convenience stores in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

Four Oaks Fincorp Inc., the holding company for Four Oaks Bank and Trust Co. of Four Oaks, N.C., announced Monday that it completed the acquisition of Nuestro Banco on Dec. 31.