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Never mind the shadow inventory of homes ultimately destined for foreclosure. By some lights, the broader excess stock of housing – both for rent and for sale – is manageable, and grounds for a bull case on construction, and maybe construction lending.

Merchant litigation over credit card interchange seems increasingly likely to end in a settlement, leaving observers at a payments conference this week to speculate about its final impact.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has entered into an agreement with American National Bank in Oakland Park, Fla., after finding "unsafe or unsound banking practices relating to credit risk."

American Express is dangling another lure to hook its small-business cardholders on social media as a promotional channel: $100 worth of Twitter advertising.

NetSpend posted solid fourth-quarter results on Thursday, as the prepaid card company bulked up its retail and banking partnerships and weathered increased scrutiny of its industry.

The prospect for principal reductions as a mortgage modification alternative has never looked as promising as it has with a number of important housing announcements over the last few weeks. The Federal Reserve's housing white paper, for instance, highlighted the need for more attention on principal reduction modifications, and it was featured again in the president's housing plan.

First Niagara Financial Group Inc. expects to close 35 branches after it completes its acquisition of HSBC Holdings Plc's branches in mid-May.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's plan to begin supervising debt collectors and credit reporting firms could prove troublesome to banks.

Wells Fargo & Co. is reorganizing the structure for its insurance brokerage and consulting division from 15 regional offices to seven regions with roughly 160 local offices.

A bailout-era program that offers unlimited deposit insurance on business transaction accounts is set to expire at the end of this year. Some argue that the Transaction Account Guarantee Program has run its course, but many community bankers fear that if it is eliminated large depositors will move their money to megabanks seen as too big to fail.

Two private equity investors have agreed to buy TransUnion.

Regulators have lifted a consent order against Plumas Bancorp after the Quincy, Calif., company increased capital ratios and improved lending policies and practices.

The Florida company is looking at bringing in capital in case the sale of its thrift fails to go through by early April.

Blue-collar M&T bought blue-blood Wilmington Trust last spring and won't finish absorbing it until June. Executives insist M&T's uncharacteristically slow approach to integration will pay off.

Tim Pettus, the president of First Farmers & Merchants Bank in Columbia, Tenn., says he is proud that the bank's donations to a nonprofit have helped turn around a crime-ridden part of town.

Earlier this week, it looked like Congress might again turn to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in order to pay for an extension of payroll tax cuts, extended unemployment insurance benefits, and higher Medicare reimbursement rates.

Five months after giving verbal assurances to the Federal Reserve and consumer groups that it would accept Federal Housing Administration applications with minimum FICO scores of 580, Capital One is not originating such loans.

BNCCorp Inc.'s shares plunged Thursday after the Bismarck, N.D., company announced a private placement at a highly discounted price.