Banking

Mortgage loans bolstered the Bank of South Carolina in the fourth quarter.

Patent trolls generally prefer to avoid any decision on the merits at all costs, as an adverse ruling may damage their ability to file future cases. With that in mind, smaller institutions should feel comfortable drawing a line in the sand for a fair settlement.

Royal Business Bank in Los Angeles has agreed to acquire Los Angeles National Bank in Buena Park, Calif.

Washington Federal, a $13.3 billion-asset thrift, said Thursday that it will provide $250 million over the coming five years for community development in Oregon.

Many Hurricane Sandy-damaged businesses are back in business with one big caveat: they still can't accept credit or debit cards. That's put a focus on new payments technologies able to withstand natural disasters.

NICE Systems, an Israeli tech vendor, is signing up banks to participate in its Contract Center Fraud Prevention service which hedges against wire transfer fraud.

Bexil American Mortgage said Thursday it has completed its purchase of Castle Mortgage Corp. in Vestavia Hills, Ala.

North Jersey Community Bancorp has taken on a new identity.

Enterprise Financial in St. Louis, Mo., has fully exited the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Severn Bank & Trust in Annapolis, Md., has turned to a 35-year banking veteran to be its chief lending officer.

The Federal Reserve Board has lifted a memorandum of understanding against First M&F (FMFC) in Kosciusko, Miss.

Warren Buffett said the nation's lenders have rebuilt capital to the point where they no longer pose a threat to the economy.

Too often, branch employees simply manage a transaction, when they should be focused on engaging or educating the customer to make a lasting impression.

Citigroup head Michael Corbat reorganized the bank's top ranks this week, after taking over in October. Here are 13 of the other executives affected.

Cezar Butu of Romania, who pleaded guilty to taking part in hacking terminals at hundreds of U.S. Subway sandwich shops from 2009 to 2011, was sentenced this week to 21 months in prison.

It's been more than two months since Lower Manhattan was engulfed by flood waters from Superstorm Sandy and many merchants are still without the ability to accept credit and debit cards.

Securities regulators have charged three executives of a failed bank in Virginia with deceiving investors about the health of its loan portfolio at the apex of the financial crisis.

JPMorgan Chase (JPM) will pay nearly one-fifth of the total cost of the settlement reached this week between regulators and 10 of the nation's biggest lenders.

Hanmi Financial (HAFC) has hired an investment bank to help it explore options that could include the sale of the Korean-American bank.

Hanmi Financial Corp. (HAFC), the second-largest U.S. bank catering to Korean-Americans, is looking for a buyer and hired DelMorgan & Co. to advise on a sale, said three people with knowledge of the matter.