The Latest

A federal appeals court has ruled that Visa and MasterCard were coerced by law enforcement into cutting ties with a website that runs sex-related ads. The decision is a powerful statement in the debate over how far government officials can go in enlisting financial institutions as their deputies.

The availability of home loans for low credit score borrowers remains very tight by historical standards but there might be some loosening in 2016 if the Federal Reserve begins raising interest rates.

Q2, in Austin, Texas, paid $10.6 million to acquire all outstanding interests in Social Money, according to a Tuesday news release. The purchase price was subject to a customary working capital adjustment.

Synovus Financial in Columbus, Ga., plans to issue $250 million in subordinated notes to fund potential acquisitions or refinance other debt.

PenFed Credit Union in Alexandria, Va., announced two mergers Wednesday, one with NAVFAC Federal Credit Union in Honolulu, Hawaii, and one with AAFES FCU in Dallas.

Achieva Credit Union is believed to be the first institution of its kind to complete a whole-bank acquisition. The deal could provide a template for other credit unions keen on buying banks.

Bank of the Ozarks' taste for M&A means its information-technology staff has to juggle integration projects and experiments with new software, mobile and other technologies.

The Federal Reserve’s regional banks are reporting a moderate but noticeable overall boost in demand for both commercial and consumer loans and financial services in recent months.

Despite years of effort to reach the Hispanic community, credit unions still face a number of challenges—and opportunities—in this market, according to a panel put together by NCUA on this topic.

Target has agreed to pay $39 million to settle loss claims from a two-year-old data breach that were brought by MasterCard and a group of financial institutions, according to court documents filed Wednesday.