WASHINGTON — A public interest coalition is calling on bank regulators to declare the drinking water contamination in Flint, Mich., a "disaster" and encourage lenders from around the country to extend credit to the area in order to counteract the damage.

Troubled loans no longer overwhelm the market, but there could be smaller outbreaks that servicers must be ready to deal with, a real estate services vendor says.

Freedom Bank of Virginia in Fairfax has named to its board a consultant to a fund that recently invested in the bank.

Correcting misperceptions about banking, in addition to focusing on recruitment efforts, will help fix an apparent rupture in the talent pipeline.

Josh Hinkel, a partner with Bain & Co., discusses the rise of shareholder activism in financial services – and how "aggressive" investors are driving higher returns.

Lakeland Bancorp in Oak Ridge, N.J., has agreed to buy Harmony Bank in Jackson, N.J.

Banks are enthusiastic about innovation that involves both traditional institutions and nonbanks, but a more cohesive regulatory landscape is needed for cooperation between banks and fintech to grow even more.

The FTC sent a summary of its 2015 work on debt collection practices to the CFPB to include in the CFPB’s annual report to Congress on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The FTC and the CFPB share enforcement responsibilities under the FDCPA.

FCRA and TCPA cases were much higher in January compared with January 2015 (+31.4% and +39.8% respectively) but that follows a multi-year trend for the two statutes that doesn’t seem to be easing, according to data collected from U.S. district courts.

Cardless ATMs are still a rare sight in the U.S., but the use cases are proliferating for companies that want to upend traditional cash machines.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is launching a 10-day social media campaign, #HARPNow, to alert struggling homeowners in 10 states that they can still refinance via the program before it expires at year-end.

About 10% of midsize businesses say they want to develop a relationship with nonbank providers, such as marketplace lenders or business development companies, and even more are said to be considering switching banks.

Pathfinder Bancorp in Oswego, N.Y., has exited the Small Business Lending Fund program.

Several money managers increased their holdings in banking companies during the fourth quarter and added new investments in other banks.

Despite the rise of digital banking, most people still look to physical channels when opening accounts. That's partly due to consumer preference, but banks have a long way to go to make the digital sales experience smooth.

The NCUA's plan to expand credit unions' business-lending powers generated more than 3,000 comment letters, mostly from bankers urging a "no" vote. But the agency's board is expected to stick by its original proposal.

Accenture has created a blockchain practice within its financial services group and partnered with Digital Asset Holdings to help companies assess and implement blockchain solutions.

There are millions of businesses deserving of loans that banks using traditional data resources might overlook due to their thin credit histories.

The mismatch between demand for new homes and the supply threatens to drive up prices and dampen lending.

Compared to other countries with fewer banks, the faster payments initiative in the U.S. will require a far greater level of collaboration and participation.