Americas

The bank-led clearXchange is changing its brand to reasonate more with consumers

Access National in Reston, Va., has agreed to buy Middleburg Financial in Virginia for $233.1 million, or $32.51 a share, in stock.

Community Bank System in Syracuse, N.Y., has agreed to buy Merchants Bancshares in South Burlington, Vt., for $304 million, or $44.02 a share, in cash and stock.

Blockchain and the 'Internet of Things' are enabling a lot of new payments innovation. In Canada, they're part of a huge project that could radically change ID security for more than just payments.

Webster Financial's profits barely grew in the third quarter from a year earlier, as solid revenue gains were offset by increased costs from the Waterbury, Conn., lender's expansion into Boston.

Amid shrinking yields, rising delinquencies and repeated warnings from regulators about frothy market conditions, several banks said on earnings calls that they plan to scale back or hold the line on indirect auto lending.

WestStar Bank in El Paso, Texas, said it has acquired assets from Cimarron Mortgage Capital that are to Cimarron's construction lending and residential mortgage divisions.

James Cope entered into an agreement with the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee to plead guilty to one count of insider trading; he will serve a two-year probationary sentence.

First NBC Bank in New Orleans may have avoided one problem only to run into a much bigger issue.

Citizens Financial posted significantly higher profits in the third quarter thanks to a one-time boost to fee income and growth in loans and deposits, though the gains were held down by increases in both expenses and provision for credit losses.