Banking

WASHINGTON — Three of the nation's largest indirect auto lenders are poised to limit discretionary pricing for dealers after regulators accused them of allowing partners to mark up loans at higher rates to minorities, according to confidential documents.

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Bank regulators should improve their collection of data on information security incidents at financial institutions and facilitate better information-gathering about industrywide cyber threats, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said Thursday.

The chairman and chief executive of Santander Consumer USA Holdings has resigned, as the subprime auto lender remains under scrutiny for its lending and securitization practices.

First National Bankers Bankshares in Baton Rouge, La., has agreed to buy Independent Bankers' Bank of Florida for $1.9 million.

ING recently launched its InsideBusiness platform, which aims to allow corporate clients to do things like manage their global liquidity from anywhere in the world. The product, which will be expanded slowly, is part of the company's push to compete for commercial clients in the U.S.

Salin Bank & Trust in Indianapolis has named a new chief executive after Bill Salin II, son of the bank's founder, announced his retirement.

BOK Financial has hired Glenn Brunker to oversee mortgage operations and manage the bank's transition to a new federally-required consolidated mortgage disclosure regime.

Cadence Bank in Birmingham, Ala., has closed three branches in Alabama and plans to close five more in Mississippi and Texas, the Birmingham News reported.

Banks used to have almost no involvement with the U.S. patent system, but recently some large institutions, like Bank of America and JPMorgan, have begun locking down intellectual-property rights. The effort appears to be aimed at fending off patent trolls, and it raises fresh questions about which activities are legitimate for financial institutions.

PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh has named former Walgreens Chief Executive Gregory Wasson to its board.

Allowing real estate investment trusts to bridge the capital need for affordable housing could help de-escalate a rising public funding crisis.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is generally coordinating with prudential regulators on supervisory issues to avoid duplicating responsibilities, but communication between the agencies can still be improved, the CFPB's watchdog said Thursday.

Multiple banks are reporting fraudulent activity on cards used at hotels owned by real estate magnate, reality TV star, and now controversial presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Providence Bank in Columbia, Mo., has acquired Community First Bancorp in Fairview Heights, Ill.

Diane Bailey Morton was named the $1.6 billion-asset C1's chief human capital officer and general counsel, while Dustin Symes will head up retail lending operations.

The former FDIC chairman said during a recent conference call that banks with a traditional model — essentially community banks — have been hurt by the Fed's interest rate policy and the trickle-down tactics of regulation.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency wants to exclude mortgage real estate investment trusts from membership in the Federal Home Loan Banks. That would be a major setback for the entry-level borrowers who depend on mortgage REITs for sustainable home-financing options.

First Choice Bank, in Cerritos, Calif., has raised $30 million from a secondary stock offering.

South Shore Bank in South Weymouth, Mass., has named new chief executive and chief operating officers.