Banking

In the space of just a few hours, regulators issued -- and banks condemned -- guidance meant to clarify the impact of the Volcker Rule on small institutions.

Albert Buzzetti, founding chairman and chief executive at Bancorp of New Jersey (BKJ) in Fort Lee, has died.

Horizon Bancorp (HBNC) in Michigan City, Ind., has named a new chief financial officer and made two other executive promotions.

This time last year American Banker predicted six types of deals that would predominate in 2013. We were right about some things (more mergers of equals), wrong about others (lots of tiny banks would sell), and partly correct in some cases. Here's our self-critique.

A hike in guarantee fees could encourage banks to retain loans they might have otherwise sold to Fannie or Freddie, but observers are skeptical that it will accomplish its true mission of jump-starting the market for private-label mortgage securitizations.

Citigroup Inc. (C) renewed its lease on 2.63 million square feet (245,000 square meters) at the lower Manhattan office complex it inherited from Travelers Group when it bought the insurer 15 years ago.

Regulators raised more concerns on Thursday that some institutions might take heightened risk by seeking profits from locking into longer-term fixed yields and diving into complicated growth markets such as oil, gas and leveraged lending.

The Target breach, which affected up to 40 million cardholders who shopped at the store from Nov. 27 through Dec. 15, is noteworthy because it affects a massive retailer with deep experience in the credit and debit card businesses and an extreme early adopter of EMV-chip cards in the U.S.

With Target reporting that its stores have been hit with a massive data breach involving up to 40 million accounts, credit unions across the nation are moving to inform their members and gather more information on the security breach.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is urging regulators to reconsider a provision in the recently finalized Volcker rule that they warn could harm community banks that own trust-preferred securities.

If Target can't protect itself from a data breach, how can any retailer hope to do so?

Many small banks are well managed and provide value to their customers and investors. The more profound question for the economy is what effect the little guys have on the stability and efficiency of the U.S. financial system.

Banks are increasingly trying to make up for lost revenue by charging new fees -- which can anger their customers. But banks that add checking account fees carefully and transparently can maintain good customer satisfaction, according to J.D. Power's Rocky Clancy, who shares his other tips for charging fees with American Banker.

Ocwen Financial (OCN) will pay $2.1 billion to settle allegations of misconduct in its mortgage servicing and foreclosure practices.

Wells Fargo's basement lab, mobile banking fees, social media, and branch design were among the hottest tech topics of 2013. Click through to see all the most-read stories of the year.

The Independent Community Bankers of America and the American Association of Bank Directors warned regulators that the Volcker Rule will force banks to lower capital to dangerously low levels.

Competition and regulation will make things difficult next year, but a panel of banking experts believes banks that mine new markets and expand product offerings have an opportunity to succeed.

The $1.1 billion-asset company said in a regulatory filing Thursday that it sold bank and insurance trust-preferred collateralized debt obligations that cost about $8.3 million -- at an $850,000 loss.

Ocwen Financial (OCN) is preparing to pay $2.1 billion to settle allegations of misconduct in its servicing practices, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

Olney Bancshares of Texas in Olney has agreed to buy Park Cities Bank from North Texas Bancshares in Dallas.