Retail & Commercial

Consolidation is needed to help the economy because there are too many banks, argues the author, a longtime bank investor. Many parties benefit from deals, and any return for the seller is better than producing poor results or being seized by regulators.

As the pace of the GSE reform efforts appears to be quickening, we offer the following frequently asked questions about what the Obama administration wants, widening Democratic support for a bill, and when GSE reform is likely to happen.

Bryn Mawr Bank (BMTC) in Pennsylvania and MidCoast Community Bancorp in Wilmington, Del., have terminated plans to merge.

Orient Bancorp in San Francisco named Richard Cupp, a well-known California banker and turnaround specialist, its permanent chief executive five weeks after he joined as interim CEO.

Customers Bancorp (CUBI) in Wyomissing, Pa., has opened a loan production office in North Philadelphia with the goal of providing affordable loans to lower-income minority communities.

Carver Bancorp (CARV) in New York reported its third consecutive quarter of profitability, reflecting lower expenses and higher income from asset sales.

Triumph Bancshares in Germantown, Tenn., has agreed to buy two mortgage businesses from Merchants & Planters Bancshares in Bolivar, Tenn.

Its landing page should make it easy for prospective customers to see where to sign up for an account, research interest rates and apply for a loan or credit card.

Migrating to EMV does not mean card issuers have to do away with their instant-issuance systems.

Wells Fargo must face lawsuits by home loan borrowers over claims the bank refused to offer them permanent mortgage modifications for which they assert they qualified, a U.S. appeals court ruled.