Banking

The pairing of Rockville Financial in Connecticut and United Financial in Massachusetts would create a $5 billion-asset bank that can get more efficient yet invest in growth. More deals like it have been happening around the country this year.

A new grant for financial technology startups offers entrepreneurs the chance to win $50,000 cash. The grant will be awarded to one fintech company that completes a six-week business program sponsored by the Technology Association of Georgia.

Community Trust Bancorp (CTBI) in Pikeville, Ky., faces sanctions from the Federal Reserve Board over its assessment of overdraft fees.

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WASHINGTON — Regulators on Friday announced they had finalized guidelines proposed in March that attempt to encourage banks' community development activities beyond their immediate markets.

General Electric Co. (GE) will sell as much as 20 percent of its North American consumer lending business in a 2014 initial public offering as Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt shrinks reliance on financial profits.

The company lost $1 million in the third quarter as it invests in research and development for a product that would tie together mobile banking and real-time processing.

Court rules that dictate procedures for admitting evidence should be updated to reflect the nature of contemporary digital recordkeeping, a pair of federal judges said during remarks at the Electronic Signatures and Records Association Conference, ongoing this week in New York City.

Republic Mortgage Insurance Corp. has agreed to pay a $100,000 penalty and stop providing allegedly illegal kickbacks to mortgage lenders as part of a proposed settlement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The role of mobile devices in paperless transactions creates additional compliance concerns and precautions that must be considered beyond the existing procedures financial institutions have established for desktop-based electronic documents and signatures.

North Milwaukee Bancshares in Wisconsin entered into a written agreement with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago this week.

As his new leadership book hits stores, Ray Davis opines on the branch revolution taking place in banks.

Bill Ackman's hedge fund-firm took stakes in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-backed mortgage insurers that investor Bruce Berkowitz is seeking to restructure, and said it may seek talks with management, shareholders and the government.

In a sign of the interest among U.S. professionals in refinancing their federal student loan debt, start-up lender Social Finance is planning its first loan securitization.

The Dish Daily, an online publication focused on technology and entrepreneurship, has partnered with BitWall to launch its Twitter "paywall," allowing readers to view articles after they tweet a link to their followers.

Online retail mortgage lender Quicken Loans continues to rack up the customer service awards.

Waterstone Financial (WSBF) in Wauwatosa, Wis., has begun a common stock offering tied to its second-step conversion.

The central bank is making clear it has doubts about the private sector's ability to implement a faster electronic payments system on its own.

Government payment processor General Payment Systems has signed an agreement with Riverside Superior Court in California to support alternative payments.

Rockville Financial (RCKB) in Rockville, Conn., will merge with United Financial Bancorp (UBNK) in West Springfield, Mass.