JGWPT Holdings Inc., the firm that offers cash for settlements under the J.G. Wentworth brand, filed to raise $200 million in an initial public offering.

A breakdown of M&A announcements in the financial services industry for the week ended Oct. 5

The alarm blaring in the New York headquarters of Amalgamated Bank, where the Democratic National Committee and Occupy Wall Street are clients, didn't bother the two pinstriped executives sitting still with legs crossed.

Community bankers should opt out of the requirement to deduct unrealized gains and losses from AOCI; be aware of the challenges and opportunities that Basel III creates for M&A and capital raising; and stay on guard for changes to risk weighting of mortgages, experts say.

Several community banks are scrambling to address Tarp balances, either by selling or refinancing, as the dividend rate on those shares is set to nearly double.

The Treasury Department plans to auction stakes in eight more banks as it continues winding down the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Jacksonville Bancorp in Florida has closed the sale of $5 million worth of common stock.

If history bears any indication of where this fight will wind up, New York’s top bank regulator, Benjamin Lawsky, could be headed for a long, slow, expensive defeat.

Greater Hudson Bank in Middletown, N.Y., has named its next chief executive.

First Farmers Bank & Trust in Converse, Ind., has received regulatory approval to acquire most of the Bank of Indiana.

Farmers National in Canfield, Ohio, is getting rid of its chief executive.

Federal Reserve officials reassured community bankers that they are vital to the U.S. economy at a conference in St. Louis last week, while other speakers said regulators are burdening small banks with confusing, confining rules.

Ripple Labs, formerly OpenCoin Inc., is working with two new gateways, ZipZap Inc. and SnapSwap, to allow U.S. consumers to fund accounts in-person or online.

FORT HOOD, Texas – Navy FCU opened a new branch, its sixth of the year, last week in Copperas Cove, near the Fort Hood Army Base, and plans to open more than six additional branches by year-end.

Community organizations in California are urging regulators to postpone approval of PacWest Bancorp's (PACW) acquisition of CapitalSource (CSE), arguing that PacWest lacks CapitalSource's commitment to serving community needs and economically disadvantaged groups.

Royal Bank of Scotland is said to be looking for a buyer for its 105-branch network in Chicago, but finding a buyer might be difficult because of market conditions and regulatory issues.

Add PNC Financial Services Group to the list of banks slashing their mortgage staffs.

PNC Financial Services (PNC) in Pittsburgh has named a new top lawyer.

Royal Bank of Scotland's U.S. subsidiary is adding staff in lending and wealth management under new CEO Bruce Van Saun as it looks looks to boost its loan portfolio and improve its revenues ahead of its widely anticipated public stock offering.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — not one of the six agencies defining so-called "Qualified Residential Mortgages" — could still determine the future of the label under a recent proposal.