Equity Bancshares in Wichita, Kan., has lost its president, Drayton Alldritt, to an unnamed competitor.

A former leader of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Thursday will announce the launch of Fenway Summer LLC, a startup mortgage lending and business advisory firm.

About half of the customers who use JPMorgan Chase's Liquid prepaid card are financially underserved, and 30% of them have no other relationship with a bank, an executive said on Thursday.

Atlantic Coast Financial Corp. has settled litigation with shareholders who objected the terms of its proposed merger with Bond Street Holdings.

Branch transaction volumes are dropping but many banks continue to view physical facilities critical to acquiring customers, originating loans and branding businesses: The branches just need a different, lower-cost design.Wells Fargo (WFC), Bank of the West and Umpqua (UMPQ) are among the banks scaling down branches and eliminating teller windows. Here's a photo sampling of branch concepts that do away with the need for larger real estate.

The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage has risen for each of the past four weeks and is now at the highest level in a year, according to Freddie Mac, and the message for many home buyers is clear: buy quickly.

Virginia Heritage Bank in Tysons Corner has begun a common stock offering.

They have spent the last few years building mass through acquisitions, but AmericanWest Bank and First PacTrust Bancorp are now shedding the nonessential parts.

The fees Fannie and Freddie charge to cover credit risk on mortgages have been surging. Large segments of the market may soon be fair game for securitization without federal backing.

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) is pushing Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director Richard Cordray to tighten oversight of the collection industry, including possibly reforming the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Haven Bancorp in Hoboken has agreed to buy Hilltop Community Bancorp (HTBC) in Summit in a merger of New Jersey banks.

The nation's largest home lender is ramping up marketing of a credit card that has helped customers eliminate $50 million of mortgage debt.

McColl Partners, an investment firm formed by retired Bank of America Chief Executive Hugh McColl, could be looking to sell.

The Federal Trade Commission has sued a payment processing business that allegedly assisted and facilitated a telemarketing credit card interest rate reduction scam.

A rise in 10-year Treasury yields and a potential collapse of the bond market has many bankers worrying about exposure to long-term securities.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has sued U.S. Bank for its role in the Peregrine Financial collapse, alleging that it failed to properly handle the failed brokerage's customer accounts.

Investors, analysts and reporters have overestimated the Georgia bank's interest in doing M&A deals, chairman and CEO Kessel Stelling says.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau appears close to clamping down on fees on account overdrafts and payday loans. That's left some observers fearful low-income consumers will end up losing access to financial services many count on to make ends meet.