Let Target's settlement with MasterCard over the retailer's massive data breach serve as a reminder of the need for all participants in the payments system to play by the same set of rules.

Banks' technology investments are helpful but fail to ease customer concerns about the security of personal data, hidden fees and other problems, a new survey shows.

More banks are steadily raising and reinstating cash dividends. Bankers say the increases reflect improving confidence with the economy, though some investors contend that higher payouts signal challenges deploying capital.

Polonia Bancorp in Huntingdon Valley, Pa., has hired Joseph Svetik as its president and chief executive. Svetik recently served as a director of JTNB Bancorp and, before that, had been president and CEO of ESSA Bancorp.

Isabella Bank in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., has agreed to buy a branch from Independent Bank in Grand Rapids, Mich.

It's a good idea to raise the asset threshold at which financial institutions are automatically designated as systemically important financial institutions. But Sen. Richard Shelby's proposed legislation for regulatory relief does require one crucial change.

First Capital Holdings in New York has shed three businesses.

Dime Community and Flushing Financial are selling real estate in the borough, taking advantage of rising real estate prices. The banks are using process to reinvest in branches and technology.

Friendly Hills Bank in Whittier, Calif., has started offering payroll services to its clients.

All banks truly believe they provide spectacular, top-notch service. But the vast majority hover close to mediocre and lack the metrics to identify areas for improvement.

First Foundation in Irvine, Calif., has launched a division to offer property and casualty insurance brokerage services.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon defended his institution by arguing that size isn't necessarily an indicator of risk. But the truth is that the larger an organization gets, the more complex it becomes-and the more difficult it is for leaders to keep everything from customer service to fraud prevention working the way it should.

Seacoast Banking Corp. of Florida in Stuart has acquired First Growth Capital, a firm that handles receivables funding.

The Bancorp in Wilmington, Del., has again delayed the filing of its 2014 annual report and is also late in submitting its first-quarter results, it said in a news release Friday.

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week, including the financial inequalities exposed by the Baltimore riots and whether the changes to Dodd-Frank proposed in Sen. Richard Shelby's regulatory relief plan go too far.

Hamilton State Bancshares in Hoschton, Ga., has agreed to acquire the $130 million-asset Highland Financial Services in Marietta, Ga.

Heartland Financial USA in Dubuque, Iowa, has agreed to buy First Scottsdale Bank in Arizona.

Visa will increase how much it reimburses banks to issue new cards compromised by merchants' data breaches, after some banks complained that the card network's payments were too low.

The Miami area's economy is on the rebound and expanding beyond sun and fun. A new influx of money, investors and customers with international ties could feed local banks' balance sheets and top-line growth.

NCUA announced Friday it approved a federal charter for another credit union — the Seneca Nation of Indians FCU — which will serve members of the Seneca Nation Indian tribe in western New York state.