The industry doesn't need to invest millions in further education and legislation. The road to a good credit score is pretty straightforward.

The Treasury Department plans to sell its stake in eight more institutions as it seeks to continuing winding down the 5-year-old Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Another FBR bank analyst is leaving the northern Virginia boutique to pursue a career in investor relations. Brett Scheiner has left FBR to become the investor relations officer for Popular Inc. (BPOP) in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

First Merchants (FRME) in Muncie, Ind., has reduced its ties to the Treasury Department's Small Business Lending Fund.

Serial acquirer Grandpoint Capital has agreed to buy Gilmore Bank. Both are in Los Angeles.

First ULB (FUBP) in Oakland, Calif., has agreed to buy Union Financial in Albuquerque, N.M.

Deposit-rich banks needing to make loans are suppressing rates on jumbo mortgages to compete for wealthier customers as home prices soar in expensive areas from Manhattan to San Francisco.

Prosperity Bancshares in Houston rarely participates in auctions, but CEO David Zalman was confident enough of his offer for FVNB to the bank solicit another bid. Zalman won, and Prosperity's investors embraced the result.

The $400 million-asset bank said Tuesday that it had acquired Luhn-McCain Insurance, also in San Antonio. The bank did not disclose the price.

A California man was found "not guilty" of vandalism Monday for writing anti-bank messages outside of Bank of America (BAC) branches in San Diego.

Community bankers emerged victorious Tuesday after regulators made a number of key changes to a final package of Basel III capital rules in an effort to address smaller institutions' concerns. But the biggest banks, in contrast, fared far worse.

Home Savings Bank in Madison, Wis., is planning to convert from a mutual thrift to a stock-owned company.

Big banks are facing unprecedented pressure from federal and state regulators to rein in their consumer credit card collections practices following revelations of improper behavior.

First Virginia Community Bank in Fairfax has named a new chief operating officer and added a chief marketing officer position.

Consumers Bancorp (CBKM) in Minerva, Ohio, has completed a $9.7 million rights offering and will seek to raise an additional $300,000 through a public offering of common stock.

Wintrust Financial, a community bank holding company in Illinois, is piloting an app that lets customers pre-order cash at ATMs.

Companies that create goods or enhance existing services are seen as innovative and responsive. Businesses that impose fees without adding value often wind up paying a reputational price.

Parallon Business Solutions, a provider of healthcare business and operational services, announced Monday it has completed the acquisition of St. Louis-based The Outsource Group, a national healthcare revenue cycle management firm.

BankUnited (BKU) said Tuesday that it had signed a lease to add 20,000 square feet to its headquarters, which already occupies five buildings and 120,000 square feet in Miami Lakes, Fla.

Debt buyer Encore Capital Group announced Tuesday it has closed the $177 million acquisition of Janus Holdings Luxembourg S.a.r.l., the indirect holding company of United Kingdom and Ireland-based Cabot Credit Management.