Security researchers say criminals are turning away from malware-only attacks and preying on unsuspecting call center reps, merchants and bank-website users with simpler, more traditional schemes.

JPMorgan Chase Vice Chairman James B. "Jimmy" Lee died unexpectedly Wednesday morning, the bank said in a statement from Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon. He was 62.

First Republic Bank in San Francisco has agreed to purchase Constellation Wealth Advisors for about $115 million.

Glenn Moyer, the former banking commissioner of Pennsylvania, has joined a banking risk-management consulting firm.

A Seattle-based company is trying to make it easier for individual investors in peer-to-peer loans to cash out early.

Signature Bank in New York has added former Rep. Barney Frank to its board. The $29 billion-asset company said that Frank filled a seat previously held by Alfred DelBello, a former lieutenant governor of New York who died last month. This is Frank's first appointment to a bank board.

BOK Financial in Tulsa, Okla., and Webster Financial in Waterbury, Conn., each reported that its Tier 1 common equity ratio would remain above regulators' minimum guideline, as regional banks continue to disclose Dodd-Frank Act stress-test results.

Payday lending activity increased in California last year, but the size of loans and fees charged both declined, according to a new report from California's banking regulator.

The settlement by the California agency and debt buyer forgives more than $600,000 in consumer debt. The company did not admit any wrongdoing.

American Founders Bank in Lexington, Ky., has agreed to sell itself to a real estate developer.

Six banks including JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo have been placed under further business restrictions after the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency determined they had yet to fully meet regulatory orders related to the independent foreclosure review which began in 2011.

Whether you're in the mood to read about the checkered history of the Vatican Bank or how Bitcoin's colorful cast of characters endeavor to shape the future of money, there's a book to suit every taste in this year's recommended reading list. Here's what American Banker's readers, staff and BankThink contributors are taking to the beach this summer.

More than 1.5 million home buyers negatively impacted by the financial crisis could re-enter the mortgage market in the next three years, according to a study that also looked at how big of an impact the mortgage crisis had on consumer credit scores.

SmartFinancial in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., has hired a chief experience and strategy officer, ahead of its planned acquisition of Cornerstone Bancshares in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Royal Bancshares of Pennsylvania in Narberth has agreed to purchase a branch in Delaware County, Pa., from First CornerStone Bank.

Discover Financial Services will exit the residential mortgage-origination business that it acquired in 2012.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is set to revamp deposit insurance premiums to make them more risk-sensitive, targeting areas that caused institutions to fail during the financial crisis.

Beneficial Bancorp in Philadelphia has hired a former Susquehanna Bank executive as a consultant.

Discover Financial Services is closing its mortgage-origination business and will offer severance packages to about 460 employees.

A new Fifth Third social media campaign offers recent college graduates free one-on-one career counseling. The initiative is part of a trend of banks allocating marketing dollars to unusual perks and charitable giving to differentiate their brands.