Regulation

National Bank Holdings (NBHC) reported a higher quarterly profit thanks to a wider net interest margin and lower tax and loan-loss provisions.

Raj Date, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's No. 2 who has helped build the bureau from the ground up, rejected the claim that the 'qualified mortgage' rule will push lenders out of the business and said the mortgage industry managed "to do almost everything wrong" prior to crisis.

Stress testing is far from a fail-safe, but does increase a bank's resilience to economic shocks.

Visa and Citigroup, working with the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion, plan to connect governments, NGOs, the private sector and others to advance global financial access by the end of this decade. Their Financial Inclusion 2020 campaign aims to do this by increasing access to credit, savings, payment tools and insurance for people all over the world.

Mortgage earnings climbed to 14% of total revenues at Wells Fargo in the fourth quarter. Banks say they can scale down operations quickly when volume fizzles.

Eight new members have joined the committee that advises the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on community-bank policy.

Ingenico SA, a French provider of payment terminals and services, agreed to buy online-payment company Ogone for 360 million euros ($484 million) as part of a push to expand outside Europe.

The alternative payment provider Dwolla's recent partnership with the Iowa state government earns the company credibility while also opening the door to an area that needs to modernize the way it handles money.

A ruling by a federal appeals court last week that President Obama acted improperly in recess appointing members of the National Labor Relations Board may encourage Democrats to cut a deal on the structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

JPMorgan Chase (JPM) is standing up for megabanks against growing criticism and calls for their breakup.