Big banks may not be very happy about the newly-empowered Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, but they're hoping to leave the unpleasant task of challenging the new agency to their nonbank competitors.

Already an active lender in the recreational vehicle and lawn and garden industries, TCF Financial Corp. is now looking to make a big splash in the water sports business.

AlixPartners is at it again, adding Frank Sui as a managing director in its financial services practices. It's the second such hire the business advisory firm has made in the last six weeks.

Richard Cordray told a group of reporters Thursday that businesses should support the bureau's mission, and said he plans to work with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to ensure the agency is mindful of industry concerns as well.

To those of us with checking accounts, prepaid cards will never make sense. We're not used to seeing fees displayed and charged so prominently.

Citigroup Inc. appears to have abandoned its plan to sell its consumer lending unit until the economy improves and it can fetch a better price for it, according to Fitch Ratings Inc.

VeriFone announced Thursday that Eastern Mountain Sports, an outdoor equipment retailer, is testing the terminal maker's GlobalBay iPad sleeve at four of its stores.

A higher loan-loss provision and a drop in interest income drove VSB Bancorp Inc.'s fourth-quarter earnings down 66%, to $162,668, from a year earlier.

Under orders to divest branches as a condition of its pending deal with HSBC Bank USA, First Niagara Financial Group Inc. in Buffalo announced early Thursday that it is selling more than three-dozen western New York branches to one of its closest competitors.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Empower FCU said it sold its branch in nearby Big Flats, N.Y., to Elmira Savings Bank.

NEWARK, Del. – Community Powered FCU will break ground on a new headquarters and retail branch project later this month on Route 40 in Bear.

While all eyes were on Bank of America's stock price last year, the Bank of America Merrill Lynch retirement and employee financial benefit plan businesses quietly thrived by pulling in $19 billion of new financial benefit plan assets.

The re-emergence of a sharp seasonal dip in payment rates late last year was mirrored by a jump in credit card borrowing. The percentage of balances that cardholders pay off each month is still higher than during the mortgage boom, however, when large numbers of borrowers drew on home equity to pay other debts.

Kevin Cummings, the CEO at Investors Bancorp, is eager to buy more banks and thrifts as his New Jersey company seeks deposits to fund its growing commercial book.

Susquehanna Bancshares Inc. in Lititz, Pa., said it expects to complete its acquisition of Tower Bancorp in Harrisburg, Pa., on Feb. 17 after securing regulatory approval.

A letter to the editor in response to "Citi’s Facebook App Exposes the Perils and Rewards of Social Media," published online Jan. 3 and in print Jan. 4.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is planning to shutter 131 farm lending offices in 32 states as part of a broad mandate from the Obama administration to trim $150 million from its annual budget.

Loan demand may be weak at banks these days, but annuity sales are booming.

A Canadian software provider is the first of many middleware companies that PayPal says is key to bringing its online payment system to the physical point of sale.