South State in Columbia, S.C., reported higher quarterly profits thanks to lower costs and higher fee-based income.

Homeowners associations seeking unpaid dues are seizing on a court decision allowing them to foreclose on properties ahead of banks, and the FHFA is litigating to defend Fannie and Freddie mortgages. Private lenders, meanwhile, are trying to keep the problem from spreading to more states.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a bulletin Tuesday warning financial institutions about entering into agreements with third parties that share or hide information related to regulatory exams.

Old National Bancorp in Evansville, Ind., has agreed to buy Mutual Underwriters Insurance in Louisville, Ky.

The traditional method of measuring mortgage denial rates is fundamentally flawed and can produce mistaken conclusions about access to credit.

In Russia, according to a report from The Moscow Times, an alarming debt collection trend involves collectors seizing household pets from debtors who have defaulted on their loans.

South Dakota's Senate Commerce and Energy Committee was scheduled to hold a hearing Tuesday on a state Revenue Department proposal to open a state debt collection office.

Peer-to-peer and institution-to-small business loan marketplace Funding Circle launched a new fractional loan marketplace today, the San Francisco company announced.

Prosper Marketplace, the online lending platform that arranges funding for unsecured consumer loans, announced its first takeover Tuesday, paying $21 million to buy American HealthCare Lending. The target offers loans for elective medical procedures.

Synovus Financial in Columbus, Ga., reported a sharp rise in fourth-quarter profit on loan growth, lower expenses, improved credit quality and other factors.

Commerce Bancshares in Kansas City reported lower quarterly profit on higher expenses.

The traditional method of measuring mortgage denials is fundamentally flawed. Evaluating not just the quantity but also the quality of mortgage applicants can give a clearer picture of actual denial rates.

Wells Financial in Wells, Minn., has installed an interim leader after the resignation of its chief executive.

SVB Financial Group in Santa Clara, Calif., is planning to issue $350 million in senior debt.

Central Valley Community Bancorp in Fresno, Calif., will soon have a new chief executive.

The Federal Reserve appears to have looked at Bitcoin as a potential set of rails for real-time payments in the banking system but shelved the concept for now.

In a new detailed report, the Federal Reserve laid out four options for upgrading the creaky U.S. payment system. The study raised questions about how far the Fed can, and should, go to bring about change.

Zions Bancorp earned $73.2 million in the fourth quarter, compared to a loss of $59 million in the same period of 2013, when it recorded a large Volcker Rule-related charge on debt investments.

Citizens Financial Group in Providence, R.I., posted higher quarterly profits in its first full quarter since going public.