Retail & Commercial

John A. Allison writes in his new book that he feared for years that predecessors of Wachovia or Bank of America would try and force BB&T to sell itself. In this excerpt, he explains how he kept the banking giants at bay. Part 5 of 5.

Law enforcement officials in the Albany, N.Y. area are warning people about a collection scam involving an operation that claims to be from the IRS.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York said Thursday that a voicemail message stating a call is from a debt collector, along with a return phone call where the voicemail message's intended recipient is disclosed to a third party, does not violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

A report due next week on the Federal Housing Administration's financial health is expected to show that the agency's reserve fund has significantly improved over the past year.

The Connecticut company just recaptured its deferred-tax asset, which padded third-quarter earnings. Still, some observers believe Patriot National's improved health, and presence in affluent markets, could lure suitors.

First Niagara Financial Group Inc. climbed as much as 4.6 percent, the best performance in the KBW Bank Index, after senior managers, including Chief Executive Officer Gary Crosby, bought shares of the lender this week.

New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer's creative effort to give shareholders more power to nominate board candidates will be an uphill battle, but community banks are taking it seriously — and larger banks may ultimately have to do so, too.

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week.

Pennsylvania regulators filed a lawsuit against an operation that allegedly ran an illegal online payday loan scheme. The suit names several collection agencies as defendants.

Nonbank acquisitions require a certain level of expertise, John Allison writes in his new book. In this excerpt, he discusses how BB&T views the insurance business and why he stuck with subprime auto finance when others bailed. Part 4 of 5.