Banking

Banner Corp. (BANR) in Walla Walla, Wash., reported higher than expected earnings because of a surge in mortgage-banking income and service fees.

Loans and fees lifted Community National Bank in Great Neck, N.Y., in the fourth quarter.

Following bankers' positive reaction to the bureau's QM regulation, industry observers are optimistic about the prospects for added flexibility in the QRM rules that will follow.

Two dozen former mutual thrifts, including OmniAmerican, have reached or are nearing the end of a three-year ban from selling themselves. Let the M&A chatter begin.

Flushing Financial in Lake Success, N.Y., is set to convert to a bank.

Digital security firm Radware found that distributed denial of service attacks against banks rose 170% in 2012.

Conversion activity has declined in recent years, though some observers believe mutual thrifts could find market conditions more accommodating in coming months.

In research conducted by Experian, 91% of bankers suspect some of their institution’s customer data is wrong.

Bridge Community Bank is using a digital identity that combines user information with the person's fingerprints and headshots.

Univest (UVSP) in Souderton, Pa., reported lower quarterly earnings because of higher expenses.

Political denial and cover-up are in the CFPB's DNA. The agency was predestined to be overbearing, which will only hurt borrowers in the long run.

Merchants in the British Virgin Islands will soon have a new mobile card reader available to accept card payments through their smartphones.

A.W. "Tom" Clausen, who led San Francisco-based Bank of America before and after serving as president of the World Bank, has died. He was 89.

Trustmark (TRMK) in Jackson, Miss., posted double-digit quarterly earnings growth because of increased mortgage-banking activity and higher fee income.

Better credit quality helped Bank of Commerce (BONC) in Charlotte, N.C., narrow its losses.

The No. 2 home lender will market the government's Home Affordable Refinancing Program to hundreds of thousands of customers acquired from MetLife. To speed closings, it's licensing Quicken Loans' technology.

BV Financial (BVFL) in Baltimore added profits in the company's fiscal second quarter.

Citigroup's private wealth management division has agreed to sell a trust bank subsidiary to Reliance Financial in Atlanta.

Management expressed frustration about expense control during a conference call to discuss quarterly earnings.

Banks including Wells Fargo and KeyBank are helping online customers predict their short-term cash flows, in an effort to increase satisfaction.