Banking

Atlantic Coast Mortgage's Ashley Smith explains why keeping her referral partners happy is the key to her success as a loan officer.

Customers expect mobile banking services — but they're not necessarily impressed by them. Bank marketers should instead emphasize their institutions' problem-solving capabilities and skilled professionals.

The next financial crisis will probably originate from online lenders, hedge funds or other unregulated entities that are taking on some of the greatest credit risks, CIT Group Inc. Chief Executive Officer John Thain said.

CoBiz Financial's bank chairman, Jonathan Lorenz, will retire in December.

Senate Democrats are accusing the Education Department of conducting a deeply flawed review of whether agency contractors cheated military service members on their federal student loans.

Council members in Eclectic, Ala., unhappy with the collection agency that pursues debts owed to the town’s Emergency Medical Services division, voted this week to hire Simmons Collection Agency instead.

M&T Bank said it's in discussions with U.S. officials to settle an investigation into the lender's origination and sale of federally insured home loans.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has ramped up its push for the mortgage industry to switch to an electronic closing process after results from a pilot program showed consumers favored it over in-person mortgage closing.

Prosperity Bancshares in Houston has ended a short, self-imposed break from acquisitions, agreeing to buy Tradition Bancshares in Houston.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has ramped up its push for the mortgage industry to switch to an electronic closing process after results from a pilot program showed consumers favored it over in-person mortgage closing.

Coast Bancorp has sold two buildings next to its bank's headquarters in San Luis Obispo, Calif., and has refinanced debt.

Banc of California in Irvine, Calif., has named James McKinney principal accounting officer

Lawyers' private emails reveal just how much a pair of 2013 interchange-fee settlements favored the credit card industry. But those suits could be headed back to square one, giving retailers the chance to fight for better terms.

Capital One Financial in McLean, Va., has been hit with an enforcement action by federal regulators for deficiencies in anti-money laundering compliance that were connected to a former check-cashing business.

Old Line Bancshares in Bowie, Md., has agreed to buy Regal Bancorp in Owings Mills, Md.

In the worst-case scenario, they'll get state licenses and reprice a portion of their loans, but executives of the highflying industry say they doubt such steps will be necessary.

Summit Financial Group in Moorefield, W.Va., said its employee stock-ownership plan has acquired a stake in the company from a Louisiana bank.

Prospective borrowers for single-family homes will be required to make a minimum down payment of 15% of the purchase price, down from 20%. The borrower must have a minimum FICO score of 680, down from 740.

Heritage Oaks Bancorp in Paso Robles, Calif., has purchased of $3 million worth of its trust-preferred securities.

Though not as well-known as Facebook or Twitter, the image-collecting social media site has more than 1.3 billion "pins" about managing money and is gaining traction with banks such as Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Regions.