Banking

First Midwest Bancorp (FMBI) in Itasca, Ill., has agreed to buy Great Lakes Financial Resources (GLFL) in Chicago.

Community Bank of Bergen County (CMTB) in Maywood, N.J., has started an online mortgage center.

American Bank in Fond du Lac, Wis., has agreed to buy InvestorsBank in Waukesha, Wis. American Bank, a unit of NEB Corp., will have more than $450 million in assets when the merger is completed.

A trial that began Monday in a government lawsuit against American Express will determine whether merchants are allowed to offer incentives to consumers to use a particular credit card. The two sides completely disagree on whether Amex's rules ensure or undermine competition.

R.C. Giltner Services says it can help smaller financial institutions sell reimagined checking accounts for a consumer base that's hankering for them.

Idaho Independent Bank (IIBK) in Boise will offer medical savings accounts to American Health Value customers.

Steele Street Bank & Trust decided to find a buyer when CEO Bob Malone realized the bank lacked the size to adequately court business in the Mile High City.

A recent GAO report called for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to be involved in interagency discussions about virtual currencies, but others say the bureau's jurisdiction is murky, technology may move too fast for consumer rulemaking and too much regulation too early could kill innovation.

Banc of California (BANC) in Irvine says it booked more than $1.4 billion in loans during the second quarter.

The plaintiff seeks class-action status, alleging World Acceptance misled investors and failed to disclose unfavorable business facts.

The Federal Trade Commission added new charges of mobile cramming to a complaint filed against an operation that allegedly sent millions of unwanted text messages and robocalls to consumers.

Many small banks lack the resources to make necessary investments in cybersecurity. One solution could be to institute regional centers that would allow banks to pool resources, train staff and investigate potential breaches.

New federal requirements for private mortgage insurers aim to standardize coverage across the market. That's left some companies looking for ways to distinguish their products as they vie for lenders' business.

In the banking world, branches came first and ATMs came later to streamline the experience. But in the Bitcoin world, ATMs came first with limited features, and the ATM makers are working hard to add the sort of services that one might find in a mainstream bank branch.

A disparate-impact ruling against a small Texas bank was supposed to lower the cost of small-dollar loans for Hispanic borrowers, but it has instead had the opposite effect, writes Attorney Peter Weinstock.

Google Inc.'s decision to remove some search results to a British Broadcasting Corp. 2007 article about Merrill Lynch & Co. has drawn criticism from the U.K. state-funded media company.

GNB Financial Services in Gratz, Pa., has agreed to buy FNBM Financial in Minersville, Pa.

Regulatory requirements that bar homeowners with imperfect credit scores from receiving a mortgage are hurting minorities and the economy as a whole.

MainStreet Bank (MNSB) in Fairfax, Va., reported higher profits on double-digit loan and deposit growth in the second quarter.

Plaza Bank (PZBW) in Seattle has raised $4.2 million through a stock offering. The $79 million-asset bank said in a press release Thursday that unnamed individual investors participated in the offering.