The commitment by the two housing giants marks a win for upstart VantageScore Solutions in its quest to compete against industry leader Fair Isaac Corp. However, the outcome of the review is uncertain, and Fannie warned that the costs of adopting new credit scores might prove to be "substantial" for lenders and others.

In putting together the 2014 edition of the Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance, we decided to pose a few questions about gender to our honorees. One of those questions became a theme: "Does gender matter in banking?" You'll find some of the responses here, and we invite you to share your thoughts.

Debby Hopkins' team brings fresh ideas to Citigroup by thinking and acting like tech entrepreneurs. Her Citi Ventures unit is an outlier in that its top four executives are women.

Meet the winners of the 2014 Young Women's Leadership Award. These scholarships are awarded as part of the Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance program.

Broadway Financial in Los Angeles plans to raise nearly $10 million through a private placement.

Mitch Feiger, CEO of MB Financial, along with Mark Hoppe, former Taylor CEO, reflect on the merger, the regulatory environment and keeping key people happy in the highly competitive Chicago market.

The Pittsfield, Mass., bank was honored for a television commercial that features the voice of Connecticut women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma.

People's United Financial in Bridgeport, Conn., has successfully recruited a former executive at JPMorgan Chase to join its board.

Comerica Bank and San Diego County Credit Union have battled in recent years to claim the Guinness World Record for "Most Paper Collected in 24 hours."

Albina Community Bancorp in Portland, Ore., has filed for bankruptcy.

The old taboo against loan purchases is being quietly broken, as small and regional banks with excess liquidity chase higher yields and find a common interest with banks that need to drain some assets.

In marketing, deciding on a strategy is the easy part. The challenge involves figuring out if it's working. PNC Financial, Regions and other companies at a recent conference discussed how to know if a bank getting a good return on its marketing dollars.

Small-bank executives sounded off this week about battling regulators, credit unions, big banks and each other at a FIG Partners conference in Atlanta.

Old Second Bancorp in Aurora, Ill., said Wednesday that its chief executive officer, William Skoglund, will retire at the end of this year. He will be succeeded by James Eccher, the company's chief operating officer.

Hudson City Bancorp continues to reorganize its management team and board following the death of chairman and chief executive officer Ronald Hermance on Sept. 11.

Regulators have terminated an agreement with Preferred Bank in Los Angeles that required improvements to its data-security system.

Prosperity Bancshares and Hancock Holding knew they would lose significant interchange income when they hit the $10 billion mark, but they were not quite ready for the increased regulatory scrutiny that came with that growth.

Regulators, advocacy groups and attorneys general are paying close attention to how banks market to and serve different racial and economic groups. There are several things banks can do to protect themselves when putting together a strategic plan.

Eastern Bank in Boston is raising its profile by installing automated teller machines at travel plazas along some of Massachusetts' most heavily traveled highways.

Park Cities Financial Group announced Wednesday that it is buying CU Bancshares in Dallas and its subsidiary, the $593 million-asset Town North Bank.