Nearly a third of mutual thrifts recently told the American Bankers Association that their regulator lacked a good understanding of their business.

The requirement is a symptom of a larger problem: Inherently local knowledge is needed for most of the regulations tasked to regulators in Washington.

Policymakers came back from the Easter recess loaded for bear, as President Obama released his budget and Senate Democrats dug into the independent foreclosure reviews. Here are the six stories in regulation and reform that you shouldn't have missed last week.

Higher revenues and lower expenses provided a boost to first-quarter results at Webster Financial (WBS) in Waterbury, Conn.

The $1.4 billion-asset unit of First Mariner Bancorp (FMAR) said Monday that the FDIC had terminated an April 2009 cease-and-desist order requiring the bank to comply with fair-lending practices.

Iberiabank in Lafayette, La., will record a $32 million charge for the first quarter because of delays in the repayment of loans it bought from failed banks.

Just as parents use prepaid cards to control their teens' spending, employers are increasingly distributing the reloadable plastic cards to workers to use for paying work expenses.

Cyberattacks against banks show no signs of abating. But services and technologies are out there that can help banks stop the bleeding. First in a series of three analytical features on the cyberattacks against banks.

Chemical Financial (CHFC) in Midland, Mich., reported higher first-quarter profit because of an increase in fee income.

Newer prepaid cards from JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and American Express (AXP) feature more transparent pricing than many of their older peers. But the recent arrivals have yet to make a major impact on the overall prepaid market's pricing structure, a new survey suggests.

American Express has promoted Edward P. Gilligan to the role of president, the company announced April 15.

Record mortgage revenue and more lending helped M&T Bank (MTB) raise profits 33% in the first quarter.

Wells Fargo has rolled out a website to help customers, and eventually non-customers, meet their retirement savings goals.

Citigroup (C) said first-quarter profit rose 30 percent as revenue from fixed-income trading and investment banking exceeded analysts' estimates.

Banks competing for new loans can be irrational and "a little scary" in terms of pricing, says Andy Harmening, a senior executive vice president and regional banking group head at Bank of the West. He spoke to American Banker at the annual Best Practices in Retail Banking Symposium.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – 3Rivers FCU on Friday said it will be closing its Van Wert, Ohio branch on June 15 because of declining membership, fewer branch transactions, and the growing trend by members to use online banking, mobile banking and ATMs.

Sen. Barbara Boxer asked officials Friday to look into evidence that the big banks are violating the $26 billion national mortgage settlement.

BNC Bancorp (BNCN) in High Point, N.C., is remaking its executive staff with a half-dozen new appointments.

FirstMerit (FMER) in Akron, Ohio, said Friday that it has completed its purchase of Citizens Republic Bancorp in Flint, Mich.

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