The U.S. Senate's leadership in resolving the government shutdown offers evidence that it’s also likely to lead the way in reforming mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That's good news for the many bankers who favor the bipartisan Corker-Warner bill over a House alternative authored by Texas Republican Jeb Hensarling.

GlassPay, a new Google Glass app from RedBottle Design LLC, allows consumers to make purchases with bitcoins, a prominent digital currency.

Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) in Cincinnati reported a 16% rise in quarterly earnings thanks to improvements in credit quality and gains from its gradual divestiture of a payments subsidiary.

East West Bancorp (EWBC) in Pasadena, Calif., reported a small rise in quarterly profit because of loan growth.

American Express said third-quarter profit rose 9.3 percent to $1.37 billion, or $1.25 a share, beating the $1.22 average estimate of 26 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

Delanco Bancorp in New Jersey has completed its conversion to a fully public company.

SunTrust Banks has joined the lengthy list of major banks slashing jobs in their mortgage divisions.

Huntington Bancshares (HBAN) followed the lead of other banks and cut about 200 jobs amid a slowdown in residential mortgage lending.

M&T Bank (MTB) in Buffalo reported flat quarterly earnings that still meet Wall Street’s expectations.

Wells Fargo eliminated an additional 925 jobs in its home-loan unit and has cut more than 5,700 since midyear.

The New York bank took the move one month after signing a consent order with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to settle allegations that it took shortcuts in collecting consumer debts. But with accusations of "robo-signing" still fresh, and a related suit by California's attorney general pending, the bank could face a new wave of legal troubles.

BB&T reported lower quarterly earnings, as a large tax adjustment overshadowed the Winston-Salem, N.C., company's struggles to boost net interest income.

The new normal in consumer statute lawsuit numbers appears to be an increase in Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) filings and a decrease in both Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) cases and Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) filings, according to Grand Rapids, Mich.-based data firm WebRecon LLC.

Astoria Financial (AF) in Lake Success, N.Y., posted a higher third-quarter profit as improved credit quality more than offset lower mortgage revenue.

Umpqua Holdings (UMPQ) in Portland, Ore., posted lower quarterly earnings after mortgage-related fees fell.

PNC, U.S. Bancorp and KeyCorp all reported loan growth of at least 5% in the third quarter as they focused heavily on strengthening customer relationships and reaped the benefits of expansion into new markets or business lines. Still, revenue and other challenges remain.

BOK Financial Corp. (BOKF) in Tulsa, Okla., is launching an online mortgage sales channel that will allow the company to reach prospective home buyers in all 50 states.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is urging policymakers to revamp the disclosure requirements and modification programs of private student loan servicers, similar to changes already enacted in the mortgage industry.

Valley Financial (VYFC) in Roanoke, Va., has exited the Troubled Asset Relief Program after issuing $11 million in subordinated debt to an unnamed accredited investor.

Bank of America posted strong revenue growth in the same quarter its big rivals showed weakness on bread-and-butter banking. But concerns about its higher litigation expenses overshadowed the good news.