Banking

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) has introduced a bill with bi-partisan support that exempts collection attorneys engaging in litigation from the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman on Monday renewed calls for the state legislature to address the problem of "zombie properties," or foreclosed homes that banks have walked away from to avoid the cost of maintenance.

The Rent Stabilization Association of New York, a landlord group, and Housing Partnership, a nonprofit, have jointly launched a brokerage to connect owners of small and midsize New York apartment buildings with banks and lenders.

Many people in Florida were sure that M&A would pass over the Sunshine State for years after the financial crisis. But a recent influx of deals suggests that Florida hasn't lost its luster.

A new Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. report says agricultural lending by banks in areas with a declining customer base gave those institutions an advantage in weathering the downturn.

The consensus is pretty unanimous (except among banks): the U.S. needs to speed up the processing of payments. What would a real-time system look like?

Missouri is the best state for banking conditions and Nevada is the worst, according to a new survey.

The Mortgage Bankers Association has cut its 2014 loan origination forecast to $1.05 trillion because home purchase loan application volume is well behind where it was this time last year.

The owner of a Houston-based debt collection operation, along with two company managers, are banned from the industry. The three were charged with multiple Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and FTC Act violations.

Fans of the San Jose Earthquakes beginning May 25 can pay for tickets, merchandise and concessions with Bitcoin, making the Major League Soccer team the first professional sports franchise to accept the virtual currency inside its stadium.

TS Banking Group in Treynor, Iowa, has agreed to buy Tioga Bank Holding Co. in Tioga, N.D.

Auto loan debt per borrower has increased for three consecutive years, up nearly 13% - more than $1,900 - since the trend began in Q1 2011.

CertusBank fired its founders for providing inaccurate budgets and for failing to devise a strategy after its failed-bank deals dried up, the Greenville, S.C., company said in court filings.

As mobile payments hit the mainstream, bankers should offer their customers a compelling proposition rather than wait for someone else to lure customers away.

Legislation in Minnesota designed to restrict the payday loan industry fell short Friday of winning final approval in the Minnesota Senate, meaning advocates of reform will have to wait until next year.

Regulators' recent moves to encourage mortgage lenders to relax standards have reignited a contentious debate.

Highlands Bancorp (HSBK) in Vernon, N.J., has raised $5 million by placing subordinated debt.

Many Target Corp. customers are ready to forgive and forget.

U.S. student loan debt rose to a record $1.2 trillion for the first quarter ended March 31, following a $31 billion jump, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported.

With Credit Suisse Group AG poised to become the first bank in more than a decade to admit to a crime in the U.S., regulators have been reaching out to some of the firm's biggest business partners to avert a panic, according to a person briefed on those communications.