Banking

Consolidation among bank dealmakers continues as Houlihan Lokey acquires Milestone Advisors. The combined firm has 28 bank M&A advisors and will try to hire more amid upheaval in investment banking.

In North America, QR code-based mobile payment apps from Starbucks and LevelUp generate a code for each user, and the merchant scans the code to accept a payment. In Brazil, PicPay is flipping the model and making the consumer scan codes presented by the merchant.

A group of angel investors including SecondMarket founder Barry Silbert has invested $510,000 in BitPay, a firm that processes payments for merchants in the digital currency Bitcoin.

The Charlotte bank says Monday's settlement is a significant step toward resolving its crisis-era woes, but other legal risks — particularly in connection with private-label mortgages — remain.

Union Bank will close 15 branches in central and southern California, including some locations recently acquired from Pacific Capital Bancorp.

A "simplified" foreclosure review settlement is in borrowers' best interests, even though details remain sketchy, officials from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency argued Monday.

Edward Ho ran the capital markets division at Misys for nine years and has taken Michael Sgroe's position at Fundtech.

Consumers who face foreclosure on their homes, who would like to modify terms of their mortgages or whose homes are underwater, now have a toll-free telephone number they can call to connect with a counselor who may be able to help.

This bad loan was a unique case of vanity and all-pervasive incompetence on the part of both the banker and a movie producer turned real estate developer.

JPMorgan Chase, the nation's biggest bank by assets, said Monday it would inaugurate a new office, which is located in San Jose, with celebrations at both the branch in San Jose and another that the bank opened recently in San Francisco.

Cornerstone Bancshares in Chattanooga, Tenn., has raised $15 million to bolster its capital reserves.

Bync, a new transaction-based deals hub, hopes to line up exclusive merchant relationships.

Payments and social media have had a rocky relationship. Many companies that have tried to blend the two have failed or been forced to change their business model. Gumroad Inc., a startup founded by a 20-year-old veteran of Pinterest, says it gets it right.

Independence Bancshares in Greenville, S.C., has $14.1 million in new capital and freshly minted chief executive.

Shelter Insurance joins the growing list of insurance companies to unwind its bank after it faced having more than $1 million in annual costs tied to Dodd-Frank.

VantageSouth Bank in North Carolina is taking steps to rekindle lending to home builders.

Business borrowing from commercial banks appears to have jumped at an annual rate of 11% in the fourth quarter, reversing two quarters of fading momentum.

ICBA Bancard is partnering with the payment processor Vantiv to provide payment services for the Independent Community Bankers of America's member banks.

ICBA Bancard is partnering with the payment processor Vantiv to provide payment services for the Independent Community Bankers of America's member banks.

The acquisition of nearly $800 in commercial loans provides a productive use for the spare cash on CIT's balance sheet, analysts say.