Retail & Commercial

It's easy to get lost in the technological complexity of "application programming interfaces," but banks need to stay focused on improving business and customer outcomes, which is the ultimate goal.

The total balance of new first mortgages originated in 2015 reached $1.82 trillion, a year-over-year increase of 42.9%, while the total number of new first mortgages originated in that same time was 7.71 million, an increase of 31.6%, according to Equifax.

A lawsuit filed by three former Hawaii Community College students last year, aimed at recovering hundreds of thousands of allegedly wrongfully collected student fees, is now set to be heard in May.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's agenda is so packed it's no wonder that when Director Richard Cordray testifies on Capitol Hill, he has to tackle a huge array of subjects. Following are areas where the agency has proposals or final rules outstanding:

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit will hear oral arguments Tuesday about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's structure, in a case that has national implications. Even though a ruling isn't expected until the end of the year, legal experts say there are four major legal issues involved.

First Business Financial Services in Madison, Wis., has appointed David Seiler as chief operating officer. The $1.8 billion-asset holding company said Seiler will start in the newly created role on April 18.

Kearny Financial completed its IPO less than a year ago and already it has found itself in the crosshairs of Lawrence Seidman. The well-known activist is pushing for the resignation of several board members he says are overcompensated and is urging shareholders to vote against a proposal on director pay this fall.

First Midwest Bank in Itasca, Ill., announced Friday that it has hired Jo Ann Boylan, formerly of MB Financial Bank in Chicago, as chief information and operations officer.

Credit Union Service Centers of Alabama will pay a patronage rebate and dividend for the fifth consecutive year.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's experiments with selling credit risk to investors are a critical element of new plan to merge the two entities and move them out of conservatorship, but what form so-called credit risk transfers take could make a big difference.