Banking

Branch managers in Ferguson, Mo., are coping with modified hours and the presence of law enforcement and the Missouri National Guard. Bankers are dedicated to staying open in an area where branches are particularly important to customers.

Given Americans' heightened concerns over cybersecurity, banks should reconsider the notion of promoting card use for every transaction, according to Douglas Ceto of CetoLogic.

Wells Fargo has joined a handful of banks running accelerator programs designed to nurture young fintech companies, foster new ideas and help financial institutions stay relevant in a digital age.

Southern Bancorp in Arkadelphia, Ark., has agreed to buy the Bank of Bolivar County in Shelby, Miss.

Banks that place too much emphasis on results without understanding the behavior behind it may create a dishonest or overly risky environment, according to consultant David Uhl.

July marks a milestone month for complaints against debt collectors filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. On the statutory front, TCPA and FCRA lawsuits are both ahead of the year-ago pace.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said examiners are on the lookout for borrowers getting the "runaround" when their loans are serviced by a new company.

A former Eastern Bank executive has been charged with insider trading in connection with the Boston bank's 2010 purchase of Wainwright Bank & Trust.

Credit Karma and Fandango have settled charges with the Federal Trade Commission that their mobile applications inadequately protected consumers' payments and other personal data.

Bank of America has given Thomas Montag the full title of chief operating officer, while David Darnell will move away from headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., and become vice chairman.

The hot-button topic of what Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should charge for loan guarantees is emerging as a key issue in reviving a private-label securitization market.

Mutual-to-stock conversions are facing new hurdles, as evidenced by events at a pair of Massachusetts mutuals. Depositors at Beverly Bank recently rejected its proposed conversion, while Reading Co-op Bank changed its bylaws to make it more difficult to convert.

The FDIC, OCC and Fed all maintain that it's up to banks, not their regulators, to make decisions about whether to do business with payday lenders.

Standard Chartered agreed to pay $300 million for failing to flag suspicious transactions after promising to do so as part of a 2012 settlement with New York's banking regulator.

Citigroup, the bank that gets the most international revenue of any U.S. competitor, is considering exiting consumer banking in Japan and transferring branches to another lender, NHK reported.

Credit Karma must establish security programs to address risks during the development of applications and must undergo security reviews for 20 years under a settlement of Federal Trade Commission charges.

Default rates fell slightly in July to the lowest mark in more than 10 years, according to the S&P/Experian Consumer Credit Default Indices released Tuesday.

Investors will remain reluctant to take on the personal risk inherent in establishing de novo community banks as long as new regulations remain unwieldy and returns stay low, according to Richard Magrann-Wells.

Square Inc. has received an investment from Victory Park Capital that it says will allow the company to significantly expand its Square Capital business financing program.

New York-regulated banks won't be able to hire PwC for consulting work until 2016 under a penalty handed down by Benjamin Lawsky, the state's banking superintendent. The move could encourage some banks to turn to smaller auditors, who some experts say produce higher quality work and are less expensive.