Banking

Three former executives of a defunct debt-collection firm have pleaded guilty to charges they lied to a bank that received funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Investors Bancorp of Short Hills, N.J., has agreed to buy Roma Financial Corp. of Robbinsville, N.J. The deal, scheduled to close in the second quarter, would bring together two mutual thrifts and create a company with assets of more than $13 billion.

The popularity of the Square payment-card reader has sparked a new market for accessories — smaller versions of the cases and sleeves people commonly buy for the iPhones which Square readers attach to.

Adding to a storehouse of capital and maintaining strong regulatory relationships are among the banking veteran's top priorities following a failed bid to sell his company in early 2012.

The bank is retrenching from some of the country's wealthiest suburbs, abandoning some of its years-long efforts to cultivate affluent customers.

Aiming to improve customer service, U.S. Bancorp has launched a mobile app for its Convenient Cash reloadable prepaid card customers.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may have lost billions of dollars as a result of banks' allegedly manipulating the Libor benchmark that determines the price at which banks lend to one another.

Sierra Vista in Folsom, Calif., is the kind of bank typically marked for extinction. But it has raised enough equity to try to make itself into a buyer, or a more appealing takeover target.

Smartphone capabilities, like instant Internet access, integrated cameras and GPS systems, have given consumers more control over their banking relationship and are forcing financial institutions to adapt.

In a surprise move, the Federal Housing Administration's Acting Commissioner Carol Galante sent a letter to the Tennessee senator agreeing to make major policy changes, including ending a popular reverse mortgage program for seniors.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Wednesday that it is looking for input on how it should craft future proposals establishing new rules for credit cards.

Voltage Security, an encryption vendor, is touting Voltage Secure Stateless Tokenization technology, which the company says provides merchants and payment processors with a new approach to protecting card data.

Banks have the wherewithal to weather a drop in earnings that a recession sparked by a plunge off the fiscal cliff could produce, Moody's wrote in an analysis published Monday.

Aite's number crunching for smartphones and tablets reveals triple-digit growth for banking, research and personal financial management. But placing the right function on the right device does matter.

Six months after settling a legal battle with Capital One, John Kanas is eager to start hiring employees and opening branches in the Big Apple.

Mortgage applications fell last week after interest rates edged up and consumers dialed back on refinancing.

American Express continues its move into a payments arena not often associated with the affluent customers served through the New York-based card network. It now accepts Amex card payments at gas stations commonly located in parking lots near Walmart stores.

The Electronic Transactions Association is remaining true to its original constituents in the acquiring business, even as it opens the doors to other types of companies, according to the trade group’s CEO.

American National Bankshares in Danville, Va., is getting a new chief executive. The $1.3 billion-asset company said Tuesday that Jeffrey Haley will succeed Charles Majors as CEO on Jan. 1.

Bankers are applauding the opening salvo of a Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. bid to address community bank troubles. But they're also already asking what comes next.