Small-business owners' optimism about the economy is dwindling, which casts a dark cloud over banks' lending efforts, according to a new survey conducted by Wells Fargo and Gallup.

Why a small bank like First Mid-Illinois ignored the conventional wisdom — 'Commercial banks buy property/casualty firms.' 'Private-equity will outbid you.' 'Leave the innovation to the big guys.' — and bought a retail health-insurance agency.

TransUnion Healthcare announced that its eScan healthcare service has identified more than $1 billion in insurance payments and helped hospitals recover more than $500 million in payments for unpaid medical services in the last three years.

Two recent Justice Department settlements, one with a large nonbank mortgage lender and the other with a small one, speak volumes about how much Federal Housing Administration lending has changed.

Outstanding consumer credit, a reflection of all debt besides mortgages, rose $15.98 billion or at a 5.5% annual rate in October, the Federal Reserve said Monday.

WASHINGTON — More than 442,400 consumers were affected by the Oct. 12 glitch that froze RushCard users' funds after a payment processor switch, the company told lawmakers.

An activist investor has called on the lead director of Banc of California in Irvine to disclose details about Chairman and Chief Executive Steven Sugarman's involvement in an investment fund that violated securities laws.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is seeking $1.85 million in fines and restitution from EOS CCA, a Norwell, Mass., debt collection firm accused of holding on to a tainted AT&T portfolio of old cellphone bills.

First Republic Bank in San Francisco has promoted Mike Selfridge to the newly created role of chief banking officer.

Scituate Federal Savings Bank in Scituate, Mass., and S-Bank in Weymouth, Mass., have merged and changed the name of the surviving institution.

Santander Consumer USA Holdings in Dallas has named Ismail "Izzy" Dawood as chief financial officer.

The core-processing vendor FIS wants to dream big like fintech startups when it comes to developing future services, but it also seeks to be large enough to offer multiple services in an era when banks are cutting back on third-party providers.

Some of BBCN's directors actually favored a deal with Hanmi to cement its position as the nation's biggest Korean-American bank. That disclosure could spur Hanmi to make a direct appeal to BBCN's shareholders in coming months.

The $241 billion-asset unit of Toronto-Dominion Bank has allegedly lent $300 million to Smith & Wesson, the maker of the guns found in last week's shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., according to Letitia James, the New York City Public Advocate.

Two independent mortgage banks agreed to settlements in the past week with the Justice Department for failing to meet Federal Housing Administration guidelines. The cases are a warning to nonbank lenders that they need to beef up self-reporting of deficiencies, and they remind large banks about the legal risks associated with FHA lending.

A Massachusetts collection agency and debt buyer is the target of a federal complaint filed Monday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The agency is accused of reporting and collecting on old cellphone debts disputed by consumers.

Peoples Financial Services in Scranton, Pa., has bought a retirement planning operation.

The debate over whether signatures or PINs are a stronger security feature overlooks the fact that neither is the most important defense against fraud.

Codorus Valley Bancorp in York, Pa., plans to sell $30 million of stock to fund its exit from the Small Business Lending Fund program.

Credit unions have a lot of work to do to modernize branches and keep their technology on par with other businesses' digital tools.