Retail & Commercial

SmartMetric Inc. is launching a Bitcoin card protected with biometric fingerprint authentication. The card can be used as offline storage for bitcoins, but in the future it might also be used for payment.

Two private banks in Georgia skillfully used a state process meant to protect the interests of everyday investors to hasten consideration of their merger application. Some other states have similar laws.

Lenders can take advantage of a concept the CFPB missed: compensating factors. Strong credit histories, substantial down payments, stable jobs and documented incomes can offset high debt-to-income ratios, for example.

CEO Dan Rollins has faced external pressure to trim expenses. Eliminating overlap with Ouachita Bancshares, his first acquisition since joining BancorpSouth, could help him do that.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey's office is warning residents in the state about a scam involving callers telling consumers they are late on their Frontier phone bill payments, then asking for personal information and demanding an immediate payment.

The Dallas company would is seeking to buy the remaining shares in SWS Group that it does not already own.

National Capital Bank of Washington has named Robert Comstock, its legal counsel, as its chief executive. He succeeded Richard Didden Sr., who recently died.

Blackhawk Bancorp (BWHB) in Beloit, Wis., announced several executive changes.

Target, the second-largest U.S. discount retailer, cut its U.S. unit's fourth-quarter forecast and said the recent security breach affected more people and more information than previously thought was taken.

Independent ATM operators will soon have to upgrade, replace or abandon their newly obsolete machines.