Retail & Commercial

Banks used to have almost no involvement with the U.S. patent system, but recently some large institutions, like Bank of America and JPMorgan, have begun locking down intellectual-property rights. The effort appears to be aimed at fending off patent trolls, and it raises fresh questions about which activities are legitimate for financial institutions.

PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh has named former Walgreens Chief Executive Gregory Wasson to its board.

Allowing real estate investment trusts to bridge the capital need for affordable housing could help de-escalate a rising public funding crisis.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is generally coordinating with prudential regulators on supervisory issues to avoid duplicating responsibilities, but communication between the agencies can still be improved, the CFPB's watchdog said Thursday.

Providence Bank in Columbia, Mo., has acquired Community First Bancorp in Fairview Heights, Ill.

Diane Bailey Morton was named the $1.6 billion-asset C1's chief human capital officer and general counsel, while Dustin Symes will head up retail lending operations.

The former FDIC chairman said during a recent conference call that banks with a traditional model — essentially community banks — have been hurt by the Fed's interest rate policy and the trickle-down tactics of regulation.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency wants to exclude mortgage real estate investment trusts from membership in the Federal Home Loan Banks. That would be a major setback for the entry-level borrowers who depend on mortgage REITs for sustainable home-financing options.

First Choice Bank, in Cerritos, Calif., has raised $30 million from a secondary stock offering.

South Shore Bank in South Weymouth, Mass., has named new chief executive and chief operating officers.