Banking

Allan Landon, the White House's pick to fill a vacancy on the Federal Reserve Board, likely faces some challenges ahead during the nomination process, including skepticism over whether he's really a community banker and about a particular transaction a decade ago.

Potential buyers have long been wary of high premiums and the potential for volatility in the energy sector. A harsh correction in oil prices and Texas bank pricing has suddenly given those banks a chance to revisit their views.

Home values have risen fastest in markets where institutional buyers bought up scores of foreclosed homes and then rented them out. But these investor have largely curtailed their buying, and may even be ready to start selling off more properties to profit from the run-up in home prices. That could be good news for first-time buyers.

Charlotte, N.C.-area hospitals have started offering multiyear interest-free payment plans to help reduce the number of outstanding bills as consumers pay more out-of-pocket medical costs.

Guaranty Bancshares in Mount Pleasant, Texas, has agreed to buy DCB Financial in Dallas.

Financial institutions need to have good digital offerings, but they also need to find ways to stand out from the crowd. That's why branches will remain a crucial home base.

Security First Bank in Fresno, Calif., has a new president.

A phony debt collection scam in Colorado has state regulators warning residents to be aware of callers pretending to be law enforcement or government agency officials.

Mortgage denials in 2013 were comparable to those recorded a decade ago, analyses of HMDA data show, challenging perceptions about how easy lending really was during the era of "pulse" loans and "fog-a-mirror finance."

The sharp nationwide drop in gas prices is allowing more U.S. consumers to stay current on their debts, according to a new report from the American Bankers Association.

Home BancShares in Conway, Ark., has named a new chief for its banking unit.

Banco Santander, Spain's largest bank, is considering a multibillion-euro capital increase, people with knowledge of the matter said.

Synechron, an information technology company focused on the financial services industry, is increasing its global presence with its latest acquisition.

An index of late-payment rates hit a record low in the third quarter, as consumer spent less to fill their gas tanks.

After National Credit Union Administration Chairman Debbie Matz revealed the agency is mulling new encryption standards, a trade association says the regulator should focus on its own steps to "better protect" member "data in its care."

The $8.9 billion-asset company said in a statement provided to American Banker on Wednesday that it plans to use the capital to support future growth.

Leaders of smaller banks optimistic about the growth prospects of small-business loans in 2015, but they are equally worried about increased competition from larger banks, nonbanks and credit unions.

President Obama is expected to announce a half-percentage-point reduction in the Federal Housing Administration's annual premium during a housing policy speech Thursday in Phoenix.

The leak of client records at Morgan Stanley illustrates the danger posed when just one employee has unauthorized or unsecured access to sensitive information, as well as the ongoing threat to financial institutions from insider theft.

The founder and chairman of 1st Century Bank in Los Angeles has been named to chair the city's tourism and convention board.