Retail & Commercial

Retailers unhappy about a proposed $7.5 billion swipe-fee settlement in a case against Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. received a momentum boost this week when the Retail Industry Leaders Association chose to opt out of the settlement.

In an eventful earnings announcement, the company also reported a big jump in profits and disclosed more details about a fraud scheme perpetrated by a warehouse-lending partner.

The riskiest loans get priced out of Fannie and Freddie securities and end up guaranteed by the FHA. We are merely shifting risk from one set of federally insured entities to another.

Mobile payment provider Payleven is adding two new features to lure larger businesses—the ability to manage multiple chip-and-PIN card readers from a single master account and support for both mobile and stationary printer systems.

If you're looking for Swedish cash, don't go to a Swedish bank. Most of the country's biggest lenders have stopped manual cash-handling services in 65 percent to 75 percent of their local branches. They say cash is out as Swedes rely on credit cards, the Internet and mobile phones to make all their payments.

Green Dot chief financial officer John Keatley plans to resign on Sept. 1, the prepaid card company announced in a regulatory filing.

Commerce Bancshares in Kansas City, Mo., reported lower quarter earnings because of lower interest rates.

The retailer-driven Merchant Customer Exchange mobile payments venture is making a lot of noise, though it has yet to reveal its product. But since the final MCX app will interact with those made by its individual retailers, CVS Caremark Corp. can serve as an early example of the venture's potential.

Investors pay attention to banks' dealing with relatives of executives and directors. Many of those details are highlighted in annual proxy statements. Here are some high-profile examples.

Foreclosure notices surged last month in states where courts oversee home seizures, slowing the process and causing prices to lag behind in the U.S. housing recovery, according to RealtyTrac.