A glimpse of what may represent the future of payments has arrived, but thus far only in certain geographic areas. With the Card Case smartphone application from Square Inc., consumers pay simply by stating their names at the point of sale.

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. is giving its three top credit card program customers several options to redeem points and buy gifts for the holiday season, a move the company hopes will create buzz for the products and one that may help spur consumers to move back to using credit cards more often for holiday shopping, analysts say.

The court-appointed trustee overseeing the liquidation of Thornburg Mortgage says RBC Capital Markets shortchanged the company by $35 million when it improperly seized the assets backing repurchase agreements the mortgage lender had used to fund its business.

The mobile wallet providers Google Inc. and Isis continue to position their products as more than just payments vehicles to replace plastic cards.

Community West Bancshares in Goleta, Calif., has named Martin E. Plourd as president and chief executive of its bank subsidiary, Community West Bank.

If Sens. Dick Durbin and Jack Reed get their way, banks will soon be required to adopt a uniform one-page form for checking account fees.

On Capitol Hill and at the White House, Democrats tried Thursday to pressure Senate Republicans who have vowed to block the nomination of Richard Cordray to CFPB by citing the agency's inability to pursue nonbank lenders who prey on service members.

The bank wanted to be up front with consumers about its short-lived debit card fee, senior executive Laurie Readhead said. She acknowledged a lack of initial planning, saying B of A has "a lot to learn."

AmeriFirst is turning to technology to bring servicing operations in-house while achieving the same cost efficiencies that traditionally have been achieved via subservicing arrangements.

Salisbury Bancorp Inc. in Lakeville, Conn., has paid the Treasury Department $205,000 for a warrant tied to the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

The company said Wednesday that it had appointed two regional presidents for its U.S. commercial banking group.

Executives at a payments industry conference took some jabs at the regulations slashing their long-cherished debit card interchange fees.

Community West Bancshares in Goleta, Calif., has named Martin E. Plourd as president and chief executive of its bank subsidiary, Community West Bank.

BankAtlantic Bancorp Inc. said Thursday that its third-quarter loss narrowed considerably from the same period last year, but that credit quality weakened somewhat during one of its last quarters as a bank holding company.

A number of New York-area community bankers believe multifamily lending is a great way to grow loans. In contrast, Dime Community says that there is too much competition and pricing pressure to make good money and that it will ease off making such loans.

Brian Moynihan gives an interview on camera, on the spot. ABC dwells on the sidewalk chase. Will bankers who hide their checking fees get the same treatment?

Dealmakers are focused on community banks, especially private ones.

The latest data confirm what housing practitioners already knew: there are simply not enough home sales today to spark a housing recovery. Whether it is a recent Mortgage Bankers Association survey on purchase applications being at a 15 year low, the Federal Housing Administration's fiscal year 2011 purchase data indicating a 30% decline or Fannie and Freddie's consistently weak purchase volume, all show a market in serious trouble.

The new HARP may help. But its sister program HAMP should also be revised so more borrowers can qualify, mortgage executives and community advocates say.