Higher loan demand is helping banks and thrifts with $2 billion to $10 billion of assets improve their profitability. Of the 191 institutions that qualified for our mid-tier ranking this year, 40% posted a three-year average return on equity in the double digits, up from 34% in our previous ranking.

MasterCard issuers had to cast at least 90% of their votes in favor of the Target settlement by May 20, and not enough did, the companies said. Banks and credit unions will fight for a better deal.

Carolina Bank's growth, and a corresponding increase in remote workers, drove the CEO and IT department to seek technology tightening access to its systems without making it harder for employees to log in.

An obscure provision in the regulatory relief bill championed by Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., is giving mutual holding companies hope that a threat to their business model will be eliminated.

Stonegate Bank in Pompano Beach, Fla., has confirmed that it will provide a bank account to the Cuban government.

Proposed new rules from the CFPB could wind up forcing banks out of the small-dollar lending business, leaving cash-strapped consumers with fewer borrowing options.

First United in Oakland, Md., will exit the Troubled Asset Relief Program after winning an auction to repurchase a warrant from the U.S. Treasury Department.

Westbound Bank in Katy, Texas, has promoted Troy England, chief lending officer, to president.

Atlantic Coast Financial in Jacksonville, Fla., has named Tracy Keegan its full-time chief financial officer.

Several Puerto Rican banks are dealing with a sour participation to a major utility on the island. The creditor — like the Puerto Rican government — is barred from filing for bankruptcy, complicating matters for its lenders.

Harvard Illinois Bancorp, which has struggled with persistent activist pressure and exposure to a fraud scheme, is preparing to wind down its operations.

New York Community Bancorp Inc. Chief Executive Officer Joseph Ficalora didn't have to pay taxes on $2.84 million in restricted stock he collected last year. His company picked up the tab.

Customers Bancorp will offer free financial coaching to customers of its mobile-banking product who maintain higher monthly deposits.

Fidelity Southern in Atlanta has agreed to buy the Florida branch network of First Banks Inc. of Clayton, Mo.

Cuba has found a Florida bank willing to handle its future business in Washington, removing a major impediment to the communist country opening an embassy in the U.S.

Benjamin Lawsky, the New York regulator known for aggressive investigations and headline-grabbing fines against financial firms, is stepping down, and he reportedly plans to make a living offering banks and other companies advice.

The Korean-American bank is looking to diversify its balance sheet and revenue streams before it hits $10 billion in assets. The commercially focused lender hopes such efforts will help it once more regulation kicks in.

In the first part of a three-part conversation, CommonBond Chief Executive David Klein argues that large and small banks have different roles to play in the marketplace lending ecosystem.