Community banking groups have recently struck referral deals with marketplace lenders that could add revenue in the short run, but they might be giving away potentially valuable data and customers in the process.

Banks and other financial companies are engaging in disturbing new overdraft practices, violating fair lending laws related to mortgages and being too aggressive in how they collect student loan debt, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Wednesday.

Foresight Financial Group in Rockford, Ill., has agreed to buy State Bank of Herscher in Herscher, Ill.

Legislation concerning debt collectors is gaining traction in Indiana. House Bill 1358 would allow the state to reduce or take a person’s state tax return to settle a garnishment.

Apple Pay and cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have a lot of appeal for banks looking to stay at the cutting edge of digital payments. But security and compliance risks are part and parcel of these innovations.

PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh may have to pay $390 million, including $35.5 million in punitive damages, for the role an acquisition had allegedly played in a major fraud scheme.

Apple Pay and cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have a lot of appeal for banks looking to stay at the cutting edge of digital payments. But security and compliance risks are part and parcel of these innovations.

HomeBancorp in Tampa, Fla., has raised $16.5 million in capital.

Small-business lending will be crucial to the future of the American economy. But community banks' ability to make loans to friends and neighbors they know depends in part on a supportive regulatory environment.

A presidential memorandum signed Tuesday directs federal agencies to overhaul the way Americans repay their student loans, the latest move in a series of steps the Obama administration is taking to promote college affordability and access.

McKenzie Banking in McKenzie, Tenn., has agreed to buy Farmers Bank in Woodland Mills, Tenn.

Fannie Mae selected a chief internal auditor with an "inherent conflict of interest" and the mortgage giant's process for filling the position was faulty, according to a watchdog report to be released Wednesday.

The finance industry faces a steep, uphill battle in trying to convince the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that the long-standing use of arbitration agreements is beneficial for consumers.

WASHINGTON — President Obama has directed the Department of Education and other agencies to institute changes meant to improve student loan servicing in an initiative the White House calls "a student aid bill of rights."

The Department of Justice announced a $4.9 million settlement Tuesday with CommerceWest Bank of Irvine, Calif., over charges that the bank knowingly worked with a third-party processor making illegal withdrawals from consumer bank accounts.

Credit Suisse Group AG's appointment of Tidjane Thiam as chief executive officer boosted shareholder expectations that the firm will shift away from investment banking toward its more profitable money management businesses.

Telecommuting isn't new for front-office loan officers, but in an increasingly competitive hiring environment, some mortgage lenders now let their underwriters work from home, too.

Banks can expect to incur higher costs in several areas during the implementation of a settlement agreement to improve the accuracy of credit reports. But they might benefit in the long run by getting better information on borrowers.

Thomas Depping would have been content to keep making small-business loans through his Houston-area bank, but regulatory pressure led him to give up his charter and form a nonbank lender with the same business model.