Aquesta Financial Holdings (AQFH) in Cornelius, N.C., reported higher earnings that benefited from loan growth.

Some banks have made eco-friendliness their mission, while others dabble in green initiatives such as building energy-efficient branches. In honor of Earth Day, here are some examples of banks that have tied environmentalism to their business strategies.

U.S. hospitals increasingly are reviewing patients' credit scores. The idea is to identify patients needing counseling options about payment plans or charity care but the information also helps with debt collections.

American Express is expanding its cash reload network for its Serve prepaid cards through a partnership with Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Investors Bancorp (ISBC) in Short Hills, N.J., announced Monday that it is selling an undisclosed number of shares to the investment banks that managed its recent stock sale.

Govern Google, regulate nationally, build on that baseline, evidence externalities and reduce demand in order to transform payday from a great divider into a great unifier.

Sallie Mae's contract with the Education Department to collect payments on federal student loans could be at risk as a result of a federal probe looking at whether the lender cheated military borrowers.

Washington Trust Bancorp (WASH) in Westerly, R.I., reported a rise in quarterly profit after it sold its merchant-processing business.

SunTrust Banks (STI) in Atlanta said its quarterly profit rose 16% as it made more commercial loans.

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First Security in Owensboro, Ky., has raised $30 million through a private placement. The $500 million-asset company said it would use the funds for organic growth and "acquisitive opportunities."

The head of an operation that allowed telemarketers to make robocalls offering credit card services, hide Caller ID information and call numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry is banned under a settlement with the federal government.

Scammers in Maine are calling residents and telling them they owe money to the state's Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Home BancShares in Conway, Ark., has agreed to buy Florida Traditions Bank in Dade City, Fla. The $6.8 billion-asset Home said it will pay $43 million stock for the $312 million-asset Florida Traditions.

RKJS Bank, an interim company formed by a group of local Baltimore investors, won First Mariner's bankruptcy auction Tuesday after National Penn Bancshares (NPBC) in Allentown, Pa., withdrew its offer.

In the old days the Fed's monetary policy and bank supervision were separate sides of the house. But its postcrisis capital rules for banks are blurring those boundaries.

The Federal Reserve prohibited a former Missouri bank chairman from involvement in any bank management after he admitted to using federal bailout money to buy a luxury condominium.

Investors Bancorp (ISBC) in Short Hills, N.J. reported a surge in quarterly profit because of a stronger balance sheet.

Associated Banc-Corp (ASBC) in Green Bay, Wisc., reported a profit of $44 million in the first quarter, down 4.6% from the same period last year, as fee income fell and credit costs increased.

Midsize banks remain concerned about their ability to meaningfully grow revenue at a time when yields on loans are narrowing and income from mortgage banking — a key revenue driver — continues to shrink.