American Express is making its Bluebird prepaid card an even closer competitor to banks by adding FDIC insurance and increasing account limits to the prepaid card.

Almost three quarters of America's 50 largest credit unions offer free checking accounts with no strings, Bankrate.com found in a recent survey.

M&T Bank (MTB) will take over the lease at a Buffalo-area mortgage facility that Bank of America (BAC) plans to close this spring, according to a report.

A recent wave of high-profile executive departures highlights the need for boards to regularly review succession plans and develop future leaders in an environment where top-level talent is limited.

The difference between board members with hands-on banking, compliance and technology knowledge and board members without can mean the difference between a bank's success and failure.

Chief executive jobs become available all the time at banks of various sizes. Here is a pool of hot candidates, based on discussions with executive recruiters.

Yadkin Valley Financial (YAVY) in Elkin, N.C., is seeking shareholder approval for a three-to-one reverse stock split.

Sen. Tim Johnson, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, is expected to announce at a press conference tomorrow that he will retire when his term ends next year.

Most of the $45 million value of 1st United Bancorp's deal for Enterprise Bancorp is a gamble by Enterprise shareholders that they can keep and collect on Enterprise's problem assets. It's a clever way to avoid a common dealbreaker.

Tim Pawlenty, the CEO of the Financial Services Roundtable, says that complying with new regulations is the foremost concern for retail bankers. He spoke with American Banker at the Best Practices in Retail Financial Services Symposium.

American Express (AXP) said Monday that it plans to repurchase up to 150 million shares of its own stock, in accordance with a proposal approved earlier this month by federal regulators.

Community Bank of Tri-County in Waldorf, Md., has named senior lending officer Todd Capitani its chief financial officer.

Two historical allies of the housing industry's push for more homeowners – the National Council of La Raza and the National Community Reinvestment Corporation – are now endorsing a cut in the mortgage interest deduction.

First BanCorp (FBP) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is delaying its annual filing because of issues with disclosure requirements.

The Federal Reserve Board has approved FirstMerit's pending acquisition of Citizens Republic Bancorp (CRBC) in Flint, Mich.

Startup CommonBond crowdsources funds from alumni members and interested investors to establish a loan pool for student lending.

Bank of America (BAC) will prevent Chief Executive Brian Moynihan from completely cashing out of its stock for a year after his retirement, according to a news report.

The Securities and Exchange Commission will not punish United Community Banks after an accounting investigation, the Blairsville, Ga., company said Monday.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has terminated a written agreement with Intervest National Bank in New York.

Puget Sound Bank in Bellevue, Wash., is buying Core Business Bank for roughly $8.4 million in cash and stock.