Capital

Under pressure from Congress and credit unions, the NCUA significantly dialed back its proposal to institute risk-based capital requirements, raising the threshold of which institutions must comply and softening other provisions.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon had to defend the company against calls to break it up, doubts about its ability to command higher prices and greater efficiency, and investor disappointment with fourth-quarter results.

Ted Peters likes to build things and he does not like retirement. The veteran banker will soon solicit outside investors for a fund that he hopes will amass $100 million to pump into promising community banks.

The San Francisco bank will lend to more borrowers with weaker credit histories, an official at the bank said. Bank of the West, a BNP Paribas subsidiary, has proven to be more aggressive than U.S. peers in the past.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is attempting to clarify its policy regarding brokered deposits after a persistent flood of inquiries from bank and others about what meets the definition.

Investors' demands that the country's biggest bank produce better earnings amid costlier regulations are prompting fresh cries to break up JPMorgan Chase.

The acquisition of CapitalSource has pushed PacWest's capital from full to overflowing. With diminished interest in M&A, the Los Angeles company recently doubled its dividend, while analysts expect management to award a special payout in the future.