Institutional investors are betting that Americans still want backyards and porches even if they don't have the credit to buy stand-alone homes of their own, according to equity research analyst Ivy Zelman. She says that's a good thing for renters. "They can professionalize a very antiquated industry and provide the consumer with more choices for a different type of shelter," she says.

Several cities, including Chicago and Atlanta, have seen dramatic rates of improvement in delinquent commercial loans but are still short of the national norm. That leaves them more vulnerable if another downturn occurs in the highly competitive business-lending market.

Bankers can attempt to remedy confusing and ineffective consumer protection laws by assembling a task force of experienced bank attorneys and compliance officers to draft model legislation.

Avidbank Holdings in Palo Alto, Calif., has added Michael Rosinus to its board of directors.

The ability to stop using credit cards and pay cash for purchases can be a sign of financial stability as it proves a person’s lifestyle is in line with their income, according to an industry association. Not surprisingly, many people are in the danger zone.

The world's biggest banks are overhauling how they trade currencies to regain the trust of customers and preempt regulators' efforts to force changes on an industry tarnished by allegations of manipulation.

Zions Bancorp. in Salt Lake City is looking to redeem up to $500 million of senior notes.

The House of Representatives approved an update to the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009 that protects consumers from receiving calls and text messages on cell phones from a phone number that is deliberately falsified.

Wilcox Bancshares in Grand Rapids, Minn., has purchased Crow River State Bank in Delano, Minn.

Collection agencies and debt buyers collecting from people in Arkansas must have a license to operate in the state if they want to legally do so, the Arkansas Supreme Court has ruled.

Albina Community Bancorp is one of few lenders to recapitalize and sell its bank despite an overhang of trust-preferred debt at the parent company. Still, an investor is threatening to force involuntary bankruptcy — a sign of just how tough it is for banks to escape the trust-preferred trap.

CertusBank in Greenville, S.C., has agreed to sell its mortgage and wealth businesses as it tries to move past its history of high expenses and heavy losses.

FAIRHAVEN, Mass. — SJB Federal Credit Union has merged into Southern Mass Credit Union in Fairhaven, Mass., creating an institution with approximately $207 million in assets.

Yield-seeking investors have fueled a niche bond business that is financing community banks, through the sale of higher-risk, subordinated debt. It is unclear whether the banks need all that capital.

The U.S. faces a dearth of minority-owned banks, and new ones are unlikely to emerge anytime soon. Therefore all financial institutions should step in to ensure that the needs of minority communities are being served.

BBCN Bancorp in Los Angeles has appointed two new board members.

Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor turned bank lobbyist, is backing down from an election-style campaign against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after complaints from the firms he represents.

Small banks and credit unions can get a leg up on their large competitors by using low-cost, low-maintenance checking accounts to win over financially underserved customers.

The city of El Paso, Texas is reviewing whether to make a zoning change that would limit where payday and auto loan companies can operate.

Frederick J. Hanna & Associates filed a motion Friday in U.S. District Court to dismiss the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's lawsuit charging the firm and its three principal partners with operating a collection lawsuit mill.