Banking

A group of National Football League players has sued BB&T (BBT) for nearly $60 million over alleged negligence by BankAtlantic, which BB&T acquired last year.

The head of the state bank supervisors' group said he sees a quiet push to "reform our regulatory structure to better reflect the business models of our largest banks."

A nascent network technology user group made up largely of bankers is insisting that vendors provide flexible, software-controlled networks.

We should think twice before cutting off access to alternative lenders that serve as a last resort for millions of low-income Americans. We should also encourage banks to remove the barriers for these customers when they want to open a savings account.

Royal Bank of Scotland has accelerated its plans to sell its U.S. subsidiary. The company will conduct a partial initial public offering of its Citizens Financial Group unit in the second half of 2014, and plans to fully divest itself through offerings in 2015 and 2016.

Most surveys of bankers about cloud computing indicate that their biggest worry is security. But research released earlier this month by NTT Com Security found the key factor financial executives consider when evaluating a new delivery mechanism for an application, by a wide margin, was cost: 80% cited it. NTT interviewed 700 "IT decision makers" at companies with more than 500 employees in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Nordics.

HomeStreet (HMST) in Seattle is expanding its mortgage business in California.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been the primary source of multifamily financing since the financial crisis. But in crafting legislation to wind down the government-sponsored enterprises and restructure the housing finance system, the lawmakers in the House and Senate have largely ignored the GSEs' multifamily businesses.

Camco Financial (CAFI) said its Advantage Bank has been released from a 2012 enforcement action less than a month after agreeing to sell itself to Huntington Bancshares (HBAN) in Columbus, Ohio.

Moven, a financial services startup, now lets users activate and deactivate debit cards from their smartphones.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM), the biggest U.S. bank, disclosed that authorities in the U.S. and abroad are investigating the lender's hiring practices in Asia.

Zions Bancorp (ZION) in Salt Lake City has raised $162 million in an auction of subordinated debt.

NewBridge Bancorp (NBBC) in Greensboro, N.C., has agreed to buy CapStone Bank (CPSE) in Raleigh, N.C.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has released Hudson Valley Bank in Yonkers, N.Y., from a 2012 enforcement action.

Higher expenses made Green Dot's third-quarter profits fall 36% from a year earlier. The prepaid card issuer also said Thursday that it is adding six more products to its WalMart MoneyCard line.

The Senate Banking Committee continues to discuss housing finance reform options even as efforts to confirm Congressman Mel Watt to run the Federal Housing Finance Agency stall.

City National Corp. (CYN) in Los Angeles has announced the pricing of a $100 million public offering.

Gibraltar Private Bank & Trust in Coral Gables, Fla., has promoted Angel Medina to president.

Call it the second wave of the mortgage-refinancing collapse. Prepayment penalty income is about to crash. Hard. Especially in New York.

Some of the disclosure requirements in the landmark credit card reform law have made scant difference in nudging consumers to make more prudent financial decisions, a new study suggests.