Banking

Experian announced Monday that it will begin offering FICO credit scores through its direct-to-consumer products.

Credit Karma has begun offering on-demand access to credit reports from Equifax.

Experian will now offer FICO credit scores through its direct-to-consumer products, the Costa Mesa, Calif.-based credit bureau announced today.

Like many large retailers fighting the card networks over interchange fees, Google Inc. opted out of a $5.7 billion settlement in the 2013 class-action lawsuit against Visa and MasterCard.

Credit Karma has begun offering on-demand access to credit reports from Equifax.

Experian will now offer FICO credit scores through its direct-to-consumer products.

LCNB Corp. in Lebanon, Ohio, has agreed to buy BNB Bancorp in Brookville, Ohio.

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act lawsuits dropped to a more typical 713 cases (including 66 class action cases) filed in November after a spike to more than 900 in October. Fair Credit Reporting Act lawsuits decreased to 173 (including 14 class action cases) in November from more than 225 a month earlier.

Imagine a future where we access accounts or pay for groceries using a bracelet, a wristwatch or even a temporary tattoo. Disney's MagicBand provides a glimpse of what's possible for wearable devices.

• Cool Wearable Devices to Try Out
• How Many Wearable Devices Are There?

The trend toward connecting more devices to the Internet than just computers or phones is often referred to as the "Internet of Things."

As smart watches and glasses proliferate, banking and payments via these devices will too, says Juniper Research.

Some startups have been criticized for charging high fees and interest rates, but online lenders argue that borrowers are willing to pay them for the sake of expediency.

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Banks have waited eagerly for years for interest rates to rise. Higher rates should lead to better profits for those banks that are well positioned. Others that got impatient and reached for yield with risky investments could be in a world of hurt.

The financial services company Santander's subprime auto lending business is under investigation by Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley's office over concerns it may have been engaged in predatory lending practices.

Faster lending, mobile app enhancements and seamless channel hopping are all priorities top bank tech executives have for the new year.

Visa and MasterCard halted services in Crimea after a new round of U.S. sanctions, according to multiple reports.

Jack Kopnisky of Sterling Bancorp in New York, which completed a major acquisition last year and has another in the works, is close to reaching his goal of creating a top earner. That effort, and the risks associated with it, make Kopnisky one of American Banker’s five community bankers to watch in 2015.

With Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. reserves erasing crisis-era losses, the agency is staring down a critical decision on how to implement a congressionally required increase in the insurance fund.

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc.'s main lending arm agreed to buy Citigroup Inc. (C)'s Japanese consumer-banking business to expand services for wealthy individuals in the country.