FDIC third quarter report shows pop in loan buybacks and indemnifications.

The billionaire investor George Soros is in talks to throw his support behind the peer-to-peer finance industry, which is increasingly leaning on traditional capital sources to lower its costs of funding.

University Bancorp in Ann Arbor, Mich., agreed to acquire the 20% stake in Midwest Loan Services that it doesn't already own for about $3.1 million in stock, cash and other considerations.

Banks and thrifts earned $38.7 billion in the third quarter, a 7.3% increase from a year earlier but slightly down from the $40.1 billion earned in the second quarter, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said Tuesday.

Millennials frequent independent coffee shops and farmers markets, so it stands to reason they'll see the appeal in community banks. Meanwhile, smaller lenders can court young people by appealing to their entrepreneurial spirit.

Complaints against debt collection companies logged with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rose in October, as did lawsuits citing alleged violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Growing income inequality is said to be a major reason most consumers plan to spend the same or less than last year on holiday shopping, and it could hurt bank and credit union revenues in the fourth quarter and present them other long-term challenges.

In Bangladesh, the microfinance pioneer operates as profitable bank. But the U.S. arm, which lacks a banking license, is pursuing a different strategy.

Anchor Bank in Lacey, Wash., has been released from a state regulatory order.

With new bank chartering at a standstill, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has issued new guidance on de novo capital requirements and other issues in part to "demystify the application process."

The latest TransUnion Industry Insights Report found that total outstanding credit card balances increased by 4.3% in Q3 2014 from Q3 2013. It signals the second consecutive quarter of significant annual growth and it constitutes the highest growth rate observed since Q4 2008.

Before the CFPB imposes new rules on overdraft fees, it should consider whether restricting consumer access to this feature could drive people to more expensive alternatives like payday loans.

Citigroup has been fined $15 million by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority for failing to supervise research analysts and their handling of material nonpublic information.

Mike Hagedorn, president and CEO of UMB Bank, talks about how his company's strong fee revenue helps it compete on loan pricing, and whether the bank could return to M&A after years on the sideline.

Banks and regulators aren't the best judges of what constitutes a clear and transparent disclosure form. The CFPB could fix the problem by holding a contest that asks professional designers to create models that convey important information in a way that consumers can understand.

IMGCAP(1)]

Millennial women are making great strides in the workforce, but still "channel their inner ninth grade insecure freshman when it comes to financial matters," according to Fidelity's head of personal investing.

MidWestOne Financial Group in Iowa City has agreed to buy Central Bancshares in Golden Valley, Minn.

The Federal Housing Administration could finally get something it desperately needs: upgrades to its outdated technology infrastructure. But industry groups object to the new fee being proposed to generate the necessary funding.

Giving roughly 5 million immigrants at least temporary relief from deportation could conceivably ease lenders' and borrowers' qualms about mortgages to undocumented workers who qualify with individual taxpayer identification numbers.