Aaron’s Inc., a national, Atlanta-based rent-to-own retailer, agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it knowingly played a direct and vital role in its franchisees’ installation and use of software on rental computers that secretly monitored consumers including by taking webcam pictures of them in their homes.

The new qualified-mortgage rule is pressuring vendors of loan origination systems to work with lenders to re-code their systems. There's a lot of work to be done before the Jan. 10 deadline.

As Fexco and First Data demonstrated their futuristic ATM concept, they emphasized that the bank is at the heart of the offering. And as Lamassu demonstrated a similar device for bitcoin users, a very different message came across.

Improved asset quality helped BancorpSouth (BXS) boost its quarterly profit.

Improved credit quality and steady loan yields helped Hanmi Financial Corp. (HAFC) post solid earnings in the third quarter.

Loan growth helped power BankUnited (BKU) in Miami Lakes, Fla., to a 9% rise in quarterly earnings.

Bank of America, sued by U.S. attorneys in August over an $850 million mortgage bond, faces three additional Justice Department civil probes over mortgage-backed securities, according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation.

Signature Bank (SBNY) in New York recorded its 16th consecutive quarter of record earnings, driven by a 28% increase in its asset base.

Synovus Financial (SNV) reported a big increase in quarterly income, but missed estimates as interest income and mortgage banking revenue fell.

Northrim BanCorp (NRIM) in Anchorage, Alaska, has agreed to buy Alaska Pacific Bancshares (AKPB) in Juneau.

Heritage Oaks Bancorp (HEOP) in Paso Robles, Calif., has agreed to buy Mission Community Bancorp (MISN) in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Third-quarter earnings at Zions (ZION) more than tripled from a year earlier after the company bought back a series of preferred stock.

Favorable trends in its flagship credit card business helped Discover Financial Services (DFS) post solid results in the third quarter.

John Marshall Bank in Reston, Va., plans to sell up to $30 million worth of common stock.

In a 113-page brief filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals, the Fed argued it had followed congressional intent in drafting the provision required under the Dodd-Frank Act, which mandated that the central bank establish how much banks can charge merchants in interchange fees for debit cards.

Pacific National Bank in Miami has found a buyer.

The cost to originate a home loan is skyrocketing as lenders try to comply with stricter rules to catch problem loans. Technology would better automate the loan process, but can small lenders justify the investment?

Northwest Bancshares (NWBI) in Warren, Pa., reported a 12% rise in quarterly earnings as its asset quality improved and its costs fell.

Bankers must resist the urge to obsess over the hassles of QM and other new rules, says Jeff Plagge, the new chairman of the American Bankers Association and CEO of Northwest Financial in Iowa. Doing so distracts them from adequately serving customers and contributing to economic growth, he says.

CFPB director Richard Cordray told attendees at the American Bankers Association's annual conference that the bureau will be flexible with banks that make "good faith" efforts to comply by January.