A consortium of non-profit consumer credit counseling agencies filed a joint complaint letter with the Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday, calling for the agency to take "immediate investigative and enforcement action against debt settlement companies that have brazenly evaded" the FTC's recently amended Telemarketing Sales Rules.

Regulators have prohibited Weststar Financial Services Corp. in Asheville, N.C., from paying dividends or reducing the capital at its bank unit without permission.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has thrown its support behind legislation that would allow longtime borrowers to continue to have their loans guaranteed.

WASHINGTON — Amid asset-bubble concerns in the agricultural industry, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. urged institutions Tuesday to establish prudent risk management when it comes to farm lending.

An estimated 428 different collection agencies and creditors were sued under consumer statutes between Nov. 16-30, a drop from 497 in the first half of the month, according to data from U.S. District Courts. The tally likely dropped in part because of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Most billion-dollar community banks have skirted the surge of traditional mergers and acquisitions that has engulfed their smaller peers — until now.

California United Bank in Encino and California Oaks State Bank said their shareholders have approved the agreement in which California United would buy the Thousand Oaks bank.

Three community banks completed acquisitions Friday.

First Bank of the Palm Beaches has managed to maintain a middle-of-the-road status in the treacherous world of Florida banking.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Industrial FCU opened its newest Lafayette branch here Friday, inside the member center on the St. Elizabeth East Hospital campus.

KINGSTON, N.Y. – The Ulster County Industrial Development Agency approved a package of financial incentives last week for a new Mid-Hudson Valley FCU branch in nearby Port Ewen.

VIENNA, Va. – Fast-growing Navy FCU will continue its marketing assault on new fronts this morning with the opening of four new branches, making 27 branches added so far this year by the $45 billion credit union.

ST Financial Group in College Station, Texas, has raised $15.1 million in capital through a private offering.

The National Credit Union Administration has asked Congress for extraordinary new powers that would extend the statute of limitations on charging officers and directors of failed credit unions to as long as 10 years.

AmericanWest Bancorp, a $1.5 billion-asset company in Spokane, Wash., chose to clear the $6.5 million sale through the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Washington.

After two weeks without any failures, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. seized two small banks on Friday. The banks, with $365.3 million in combined assets, are expected to cost the Deposit Insurance Fund $113.1 million.

After two weeks without any failures, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. seized two small banks on Friday. The banks, with $365.3 million in combined assets, are expected to cost the Deposit Insurance Fund $113.1 million.

Heritage Financial Corp. in Olympia, Wash., is taking a 10% discount to its common stock to raise $50 million of fresh capital.

More companies are shuttering branches obtained in Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.-backed deals. In most cases, buyers took on branches in markets beyond their geographical scope, or came to a later realization that it would cost too much to maintain and compete for greater market share in single-branch markets.

Beacon Financial Group Inc. has acquired Estate Recoveries Inc., a Baltimore-based accounts receivable management firm that specializes in deceased debt accounts, the companies announced Friday.