Few things cut through the skepticism many folks hold toward a business (or even industry) as much as genuine, altruistic actions.

IMGCAP(1)]

IMGCAP(1)]

New York Community Bancorp announced Tuesday that it has finished streamlining its core platform and related systems, including online banking, automated voice response and ATMs, across all 68 of its branches.

Provident Financial Services (PFS) of New Jersey is beefing up its marketing efforts with a new slogan as it tries to stand out in the rough-and-tumble New York banking market.

Astoria Financial, Texas Capital Bancshares and three other large community banks look more vulnerable to buyout efforts after M&T's agreement to buy Hudson City.

Walter Investment Management (WAC) in Tampa, Fla. said Tuesday that it is acquiring Reverse Mortgage Solutions for $120 million.

The Dan Beard Council of the Boy Scouts of America has begun using a mobile card reader from VeriFone in its Annual Popcorn Sale.

Bank of Commerce of Redding, Calif., is selling its majority stake in a mortgage lending company, a move some industry observers say makes sense given a challenging regulatory environment.

Responsible for its ubiquitous "What's in your wallet?" tagline, Bill McDonald helped establish Capital One as one of the nation's most recognizable consumer brands.

S&T Bank in Indiana, Pa., has added two lenders as it continues to expand its commercial lending business.

Union First Market Bank in Richmond, Va., has added an iPad app to its mobile offerings.

Shares of BNCCorp soared Tuesday after the Bismarck, N.D., company announced that it was terminating a planned stock sale that threatened to dilute investors' holdings.

Intermountain Community Bancorp plans to conduct a 1-for-10 reverse stock split on Oct. 5.

Financial institutions with a long-term strategic interest in the credit card business should reap the benefits of the existing safe harbor and buy while it lasts. Those who don't should take advantage of the current environment and sell.

Risk management still has its weak spots, despite the valuable lessons banks learned from the financial crisis. Practitioners wonder if stopping the next blow-up is even a reasonable goal for the profession.

Bankers can declare an end to their summer of scandal now that Labor Day is done — but it remains to be seen whether the next few months will be any better.

Its future is as debated as any topic within credit unions, and as one panel of CEOs and analysts here made clear, that debate over what is to become of branch networks is not near being resolved.

TCF Financial changes its mind on imposing fees on formerly gratis checking accounts.

For all the anxiety in the financial services industry, upbeat stories abound at Keefe, Bruyeete & Wood's annual conference for community bank investors. Bonnie McGeer reports.