Retail & Commercial

Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) in Moultrie, Ga., has announced a streamlining plan that includes closing or selling about 20% of its branches.

A Chicago pension fund wants the banks to pay for losses on mortgage-backed securities because of their trustee roles, but the banks argue any blame lies with others.

Housing advocates say a gap has opened between the relief the five big mortgage servicers agreed to provide under a $25 billion settlement and what borrowers are seeing on the ground.

Square and Lemon, two companies that offer mobile wallets on Apple's iPhone handsets, have updated their apps to work with Apple's Passbook wallet.

CapStar Bank in Nashville, Tenn., has hired a former executive at Bank of America as its chief financial officer.

Alliance Bank in Syracuse, N.Y., has warned that almost 100 jobs would be eliminated after its merger with NBT Bank next year.

Square, the mobile-payments startup founded by Jack Dorsey, is giving small merchants the ability to sell gift cards to shoppers on the go, stepping up competition with eBay’s PayPal business.

With the help of technology and the FHFA, the CFPB can create Dynamic Disclosures for consumers. Better information will put borrowers on an equal footing with lenders, making non-Qualified Mortgage loans safer to originate.

FirstAtlantic Bank in Jacksonville, Fla., has acquired a branch from Prosperity Bank in St. Augustine, Fla.

Financial institutions and consumer groups are each trying to influence a report that will help determine the rules for settling customer disputes.