It was a celebration more than anything else, but the honorees at American Banker's annual Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance dinner Thursday had plenty to say on themes that are sure to resonate.

A Georgia legislative panel hearing Thursday reviewed the issue of surprise billings for medical care, which can confound consumers and lead to difficult collection practices.

Turmoil in energy markets significantly influenced the sale of Tradition Bancshares in Houston.

Consumer loan delinquencies fell sharply in the second quarter ended June 30, thanks to large drops in home loan-related delinquencies, according to the American Bankers Association.

Pat Callahan received high marks for her handling of the Wachovia acquisition — the largest in banking history — but it was her influence on Wells Fargo's diversity policies and sustainability practices that stand as perhaps the greatest achievement of her 38-year career.

Payday lenders in Alabama have issued 386,641 payday loans in the last two months, according to a database that started tracking the lending on Aug. 10.

Who cares what time a bank announces its quarterly earnings? A lot of people, it turns out, from investors who bet large on the data to bankers who use crafty scheduling tactics to announce before their competitors.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of AmericanBanker.com articles and our social media platforms.

There's no such thing as a typical day for the Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance, but these glimpses offer insight into "A Day in the Life" of some of these executives.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned lenders Thursday to avoid marketing services agreements where payment for advertising is really just disguising kickbacks.

Allegiance Bancshares expects to raise about $54.6 million in its initial public offering, as the Houston company priced the offering more than two years after expressing interest in going public.

Rabobank in Roseville, Calif., has lined up its next president and chief executive.

In a Q&A, Hari Gopalkrishnan, who oversees mobile banking for Bank of America's consumer and wealth management operations, discusses the mobile trends of the past year, including the difference between what its technology is capable of doing and what consumers are willing to adopt.

Buyers of securitized loans sue Lynn Tilton, the Pittsburgh Home Loan bank's Kristina Williams advises women executives on leveling the playing field, ex-Ally Bank chief Barbara Yastine joins a wealth management firm and Google's Ruth Porat warns about the economic threat posed by mounting student loan debt.

The digital-age industry sells borrowers on its speed. But it remains captive to outdated technology that can delay the delivery of funds by several days.

Mechanics Bank in Walnut Creek, Calif., has named three senior financial executives, about five months after a Dallas investment group acquired a majority stake.

Alma Bank in Long Island City, N.Y., will integrate technology from Diebold that allows for cardless transactions at automated teller machines.

The Pennsylvania company said in a recent filing that its board also looked at succession planning, service provider relationships, board expansion and financial forecasts before seeking bids and agreeing to sell to F.N.B. Corp.

An ACLU chapter sued Benton County, Wash., accusing it of sending people to jail or forcing them to toil on work crews if they fail to pay their court fines. The class-action case wants a ruling on the constitutionality of the county's collection strategies.

Old National said that by owning the branches instead of leasing them, it would have greater control of the properties, classify the branches as assets on its balance sheet and become more efficient.