Banking

The mortgage delinquency rate (the rate of borrowers 60 days or more delinquent on their mortgages) dropped below 4 percent for the first time since 2008, ending Q4 2013 at 3.85 percent, according to TransUnion's Industry Insights Report.

New York's banking regulator unleashed a verbal assault on nonbank servicer Ocwen Financial Wednesday, saying the company's use of technology to better handle distressed loans is "too good to be true."

The U.S. Postal Service, well positioned to compete with payday lenders, could redirect the $7.4 billion Americans annually spend on these types of loans back into the U.S. economy. But it would have to become a proper bank to do so.

Retail and financial services trade groups have launched a new partnership aimed at improving cybersecurity across both industries.

Scheduled home auctions rose last month from a year earlier in 27 states, bucking a decline in foreclosure filings across the U.S., RealtyTrac said.

A majority of U.S. banks plan to add staff this year even as they contend with increased compliance and health care costs, according to an industry survey.

Many politicians who are partial to big government, including Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, are embracing a Jan. 27 proposal by the Postal Service's inspector general to allow the post office to sell prepaid cards and make small-dollar loans. Some have dubbed the proposal a "public option" for consumer financial services.While the USPS inspector general envisions the private banking sector having some involvement in its proposal, many details of that role have yet to be determined. Countries around the world offer a variety of models on how to structure a postal bank. Following is a look at various approaches.

The Bitcoin community is in limbo after two big exchanges halted withdrawals due to a technical feature within the Bitcoin protocol that allowed fraudsters to manipulate transaction IDs.

The American Bankers Association has decided to drop its lawsuit against the final Volcker Rule, saying regulators have already addressed some of the potential damage from the regulation.

The framework issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology offers "a consensus description" for effective cybersecurity risk management.

WASHINGTON -- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lack consistent policies on charging late fees on outstanding loan repurchase requests, creating an uneven playing field in the mortgage market, according to an inspector general report released Wednesday.

The single-family mortgage delinquency rate has been declining for eight straight quarters and it ended 2013 at the lowest level since 2008.

U.S. Bank (USB) employees are piloting software that will, if all goes well, be used to let customers access their credit card accounts on a mobile device by speaking a few words into their phone.

Patriot Financial is among a handful of investors to team up and bid on 1st Mariner Bank in a bankruptcy auction. Kirk Wycoff, Patriot's managing director, says his firm likes the structure and thinks it provides a market-based solution to community banks' debt hangover.

Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) in Cincinnati mistakenly informed credit bureaus that a number of customers had filed for bankruptcy.

The younger operating system has inspired only a handful of U.S. bank apps to date.

Divorcees are more satisfied with how their handling their finances than married people, according to a new survey.

The clock is ticking on the Canadian bank's ambitious plan to take New York. TD has added a lot of branches and won kudos for its emphasis on customer service, but it's far short of its goal to be No. 3 in retail market share by 2016.

Being persistent and relentlessly reasonable can succeed over expressions of outrage, however justified that may be.