MasterCard Inc., the second-largest payments network, said profit fell 1.1 percent as expenses rose and a strengthening U.S. dollar hurt earnings overseas. Shares declined in early trading.

Regulators have given the merger between CIT Group and OneWest Bank the green light — so long as CIT comes up with a revised Community Reinvestment Act plan. This condition is good news for the low-income communities impacted by the merger and sets a strong precedent for regulators' review of future bank deals.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is still not producing enough adequately-trained examiners necessary to monitor Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, according to an inspector general report.

The Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program is renewing calls for further investigation of servicers it claims may be denying too many Home Affordable Modification Program applications.

The House Financial Services Committee tackled several key bills including ones targeting Operation Choke Point, executive compensation at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, small banks' exam cycle, and changes or delays to several actions by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Bank of America and Goldman Sachs have promised the Obama administration to invest in, and provide other support for, efforts to fight climate change.

ASB Bancorp in Asheville, N.C., is facing a potential proxy fight from New Jersey activist investor Lawrence Seidman.

Equity Bancshares in Wichita, Kan., has agreed to buy First Independence in Independence, Kan. The companies expect the deal to close in the fourth quarter, after approval from regulators and from First Independence's shareholders.

Southern States Bancshares in Anniston, Ala., has agreed to buy Columbus Community Bank in Georgia for $21.4 million.

The auto lender, which has been operating under tight regulatory restrictions since its bailout during the financial crisis, will now be allowed to use its federally insured deposit base to fund more of its loan portfolio.

USAA's newest app, Savings Coach, analyzes financial data to recommend small amounts of money to save and invites members to take savings challenges, then moves the money upon the member's approval. The app comes at a time when millennials have a negative savings rate.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday charged Paymap Inc. and LoanCare LLC with deceiving consumers.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is charging two companies affiliated with Western Union and Fidelity National Financial more than $38 million in total charges for allegedly steering consumers into a mortgage payment program that cost them millions of dollars in fees.

Flagstar Bank far outpaced expectations for its second-quarter results due to high loan sales and a strengthened portfolio from the subtraction of lower performing loans.

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors recently challenged college students to examine how community banks survived the financial crisis, and the contest highlighted innovative strategies used by Main Street banks such as Bank of American Fork in Utah.

Blockchain technology can be used to help financial-services institutions accomplish their most important goal — improving customer service, Blythe Masters said Tuesday.

There is no reason a bank should be able to issue a loan and enjoy one set of rules while a marketplace lender, essentially issuing the same loan, must deal with a morass of conflicting state standards.

Some Democratic lawmakers want to help consumers fight back against creditors. The Consumer Reporting Fairness Act, introduced by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, would make it easier to fix inaccurate credit reports.