Banking

First Republic Bank (FRC) in San Francisco has appointed a new chief operating officer and extended the employment contracts for its chief executive and president.

Oconee Federal Financial Corp. (OFED) in Seneca, S.C., has agreed to buy Stephens Federal Bank in Toccoa, Ga.

The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is asking banks to voluntarily provide their customers with credit scores used to make lending decisions.

Freddie Mac will return $10.4 billion in profits to the Treasury Department next month, bringing total payments to about $10 billion above what it got in aid under conservatorship.

The need that drives millions of people to seek out small loans isn’t going away. Lenders can fill the gap by restructuring payment models, focusing on a borrower’s ability to repay and developing a variety of solutions.

For the first time in more than three years, the total balance of new mortgage originations is larger than that of loans in foreclosure, according to Equifax.

The virtual currency and payment system "has allowed users to participate in illicit activity, while also being highly unstable and disruptive to our economy," Sen. Joe Manchin wrote to regulators in a public letter released Wednesday.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) wants federal regulators to ban Bitcoin.

The Dutch startup Eaze introduced a "Nod to Pay" app for Google Glass that uses the headset's camera and ability to sense motion to enable Bitcoin payments.

Serial bank acquirers might stop to catch their breath some times, but many realize that their next deal is always on the horizon. Three of those banks recently discussed their plans to return to M&A at a conference in Boston.

Thirteen Democratic lawmakers are encouraging the Department of Justice not to cave in the face of Republican opposition to a crackdown on online payday lenders.

JPMorgan Chase's warning that it will lose money in the mortgage business this year is a forceful reminder that the housing market has not recovered from the downturn.

Following a series of high-profile data breaches, legislators in the nation's largest state are kicking off a debate that has nationwide implications.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s fourth-quarter report on industry health showed continued challenges to growth, but the second straight increase in net interest margins is a promising sign for the future.

NASB Financial (NASB) in Grandview, Mo., has been released from a consent order issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Digital Authentication Technologies, a location identity software provider, is integrating its Contextual Location Fingerprint technology with a broader set of security products encompassed by the McAfee Security Innovation Alliance partner program.

New York regulator Benjamin Lawsky raised concern about conflicts of interest in mortgage servicer Ocwen Financial's business relationships, warning that a "tangled web of conflicts could create incentives that harm borrowers and push homeowners unduly into foreclosure."

With media outlets reporting the grisly details, there has never been a better time to educate commercial account holders about the risks associated with online banking, particularly phishing attacks.

Mortgage Network in Danvers, Mass., has opened its first office in neighboring Rhode Island.

A tax plan from House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp would further limit the mortgage-interest break and end the deduction for state and local taxes, according to a nonpartisan congressional summary.