Retail & Commercial

Recurring debit payments, in which consumers give companies their bank or card account numbers to "pull" money out for regular bills, are a jury-rigged solution for a system built in the 1970s, says consultant Dave Birch. There is no need to replicate this setup in the modernized payment system that the Federal Reserve is nudging banks to create, Birch argues. "Push" payments, which require an active step by the accountholder each and every time, are more secure and easier to manage, he says.Related:• JPMorgan, Wal-Mart Offer Starkly Different Views on Faster Payments• Message to Banks: Speed Up Payments or Fed Will Take Charge

Including the Wells settlement, Fannie has collected nearly $14 billion from eight large mortgage lenders since the start of 2013.

Bill Crawford seemed content to oversee slow and steady growth before agreeing to buy United Financial in a deal that will create a $5 billion-asset bank in the Northeast.

Commercial lending perked up after the government shutdown ended, though bankers are still having to cut deals on pricing to land business. Consumer lending continued to decelerate.

George Bailey has a lot to teach us about the ongoing basic risks faced by financial institutions.

United Community Banks (UCBI) in Blairsville, Ga., plans to redeem $180 million of stock issued under the Treasury Department's Troubled Asset Relief Program along with $16.8 million of other outstanding preferred stock.

A Massachusetts community bank and a payment and banking applications provider have teamed up to capitalize on an Obamacare-assisted trend: the growing health care savings account market.

Brazil will boost levies on withdrawals abroad to restrain a widening current account deficit and prevent a six-percentage point gap in tax levels from reducing the use of credit cards.

Flagstar Bancorp (FBC) in Troy, Mich., has agreed to pay Freddie Mac $8.9 million in order to settle mortgage repurchase claims.

Americas United Bank (AUNB) in Glendale, Calif., has agreed to buy Silvergate Capital Corp.'s lone branch in Los Angeles county.