Retail & Commercial

To avoid incurring a customer's wrath or a lawsuit, banks should make sure new fees carry a clear value exchange, offer something new (ahem, mobile) and are easily avoided. Resist any temptation to set fee traps.

The $534 million-asset company said Wednesday that it sold about 203,000 shares of common stock and nearly 400,000 shares of non-voting common stock at $16.80 each to Castle Creek Capital Partners.

The East Coast oil boom and the rise in hydraulic fracturing are creating headaches for banks that lend to local homeowners, who risk violating government mortgage standards when they sell their property's energy rights to oil and gas companies. American Banker editors discuss the foreclosure and even environmental problems that fracking can create for lenders, and how some banks are coping.

An aspect of U.S. tax law is being criticized by some lawmakers and consumer groups concerned that it may be worth billions of dollars for JPMorgan Chase in negotiations with the Department of Justice.

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has proposed allowing Bitcoin to be accepted as contributions for federal candidates in its draft guidance.

Horizon Bancorp (HBNC) in Michigan City, Ind., has agreed to buy SCB Bancorp (SCB) in East Lansing, Mich.

A former executive at One Bank & Trust in Little Rock, Ark., has been charged with stealing nearly $75,000 from his employer to pay off credit card bills.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray acknowledged concerns Tuesday about how the agency is regulating indirect auto lenders, vowing to be more transparent about its oversight.

The $782 million-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that it halved its stake in Lender Service Provider, to 25%, during the third quarter after adding two members to the processing firm.

Ripple Labs has secured $3.5 million in additional funding to fuel the development of its digital currency network.