Retail & Commercial

Putting faith in its team of experts analyzing every loan application, the Arkansas bank is shrugging off warnings of a real estate downturn.

Yes, the credit bureau goofed badly on data security, and it proved to be worse at crisis management. But other companies have been just as sloppy with cyber defenses, and business and government leaders should have tackled these problems long before now.

The first-of-its-kind study was an acknowledgment that as consumers rely more on digital banking channels, the nation's largest banks are competing more against each other and less against smaller institutions.

House Democrats are lobbying for a bill to reform the way banks charge overdraft fees, but recognizing that Republicans are unlikely to take up the legislation, they are hoping the CFPB can act on its own.

Ned Handy, who will take the helm in March, wants to be more aggressive luring deposits in the company's home state. That should reduce its reliance on other funding sources to support loan growth.

Equifax Inc. will debut a new service that will permanently give consumers the ability to lock and unlock their credit for free.

Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., plans to reintroduce legislation requiring the IRS to fast-track income verification, which proponents say could reduce the financial industry's dependence on credit bureaus.

Washington Federal has pulled its application to buy Anchor Bancorp after regulators flagged issues tied to its BSA systems and processes. The companies said they remain committed to the deal.

The company has agreed to buy Bay Bancorp for $129 million in stock.

It’s not just consumers who are worried about identity theft. For the millions of business owners who rely on their personal credit to finance operations, damage to credit scores could have dire consequences.