Banking

A survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association points to a solid increase in March new home sales after a slow start to the spring selling season.

Comerica (CMA) in Dallas reported an uptick in earnings as the company benefited from lower operating costs and improved credit quality.

Live Oak Bancshares is planning an initial public offering that could yield as much as $86 million for the Wilmington, N.C., company and its shareholders.

Canadian payday loan provider Cash Store Financial Services Inc. is seeking protection from creditors as it faces liquidity woes resulting from the suspension of its right to offer loans in the province of Ontario.

The Social Security Administration announced Monday the suspension of a program to collect more than 10-year-old taxpayers' debts by seizing tax refunds.

Canada's revenue agency said hackers exploiting the Heartbleed security flaw have gained access to some taxpayer data.

Charlie Shrem, a prominent Bitcoin evangelist, was indicted for allegedly trying to launder more than $1 million in the virtual currency in a case tied to the illicit online bazaar Silk Road.

Heritage Bancorp in Pearland, Texas, has agreed to buy Nixon State Bank in Nixon, Texas.

The federal push to stamp out illegal online lending is having unintended negative consequences, an umbrella group for state banking regulators says.

CB Financial Services (CBFV) in Carmichaels, Pa., has agreed to buy FedFirst Financial (FFCO) in Monessen, Pa.

Behind Citigroup's first-quarter results that momentarily pleased investors are darker signs: rising legal and restructuring costs that take away from efforts to reenergize revenue.

Joseph Stilwell used a photo of the then-chairman of Harvard Illinois snoozing at last year's annual meeting as part of his fight for representation on the board. Harvard's board accused Stilwell of waging his battle "in the gutter."

The ATM Industry Association is examining ways the machines can be used to better reach lower-income consumers. Sending money to someone, paying bills, and loading a portion of a check onto a prepaid card are among the types of transactions the group is envisioning can take place through ATMs.

The company, which was an active acquirer before the financial crisis, has returned to its roots after a long hiatus brought on by the downturn and integration problems. Archie Brown, who became CEO in 2008, says the company is taking a more disciplined approach this time.

J.P. Morgan has partnered with ProQuest, a cloud-based data management technology provider in Ann Arbor, Mich., to make J.P. Morgan's company and economic research data available to business students, academics and other researchers.

First Mariner's holding company, First Mariner Bancorp (FMAR), filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February as part of a $100 million recapitalization plan.

The Minnesota-based agency agreed to pay a civil penalty in North Carolina to refund processing fees customers in the state submitted along with monthly payments.

The financial services technology company FIS has expanded its loan software and services business by acquiring CMSI.

M&T Bank (MTB) in Buffalo reported lower earnings in the first quarter as customer activity dwindled in the first two months of 2014 and costs associated with regulatory requirements grew.