SCBT Financial in Columbia has agreed to buy First Financial Holdings in Charleston in a deal between South Carolina banks.

Elliott Management, a firm controlled by hedge fund manager Paul Singer, bought roughly 3.8 million shares of National Bank Holdings' stock during the fourth quarter, according to an SEC filing.

For the processor Total System Services (TSS), buying the prepaid card marketer NetSpend (NTSP) is transformational. For NetSpend it's going to be business as usual, the companies say.

Capital One is backpedaling from one of its two big deals last year, dumping a $7 billion credit card portfolio as it struggles to justify the rest of its investment.

Bank of America (BAC) has agreed to pay $12 million to settle a class action seeking overtime pay for Merrill Lynch workers.

Gold Coast Bank in Islandia, N.Y., is beginning its second round of financing after announcing that its fourth-quarter profit more than doubled.

A third-party arbitrator, responding to a complaint filed by Discover Financial Services (DFS), has ruled that JPMorgan Chase (JPM) did not mislead consumers regarding its Chase Freedom credit card.

Bank of America Corp., the second- biggest U.S. lender, gave Chief Executive Officer Brian T. Moynihan about $12 million in total compensation for 2012 and will boost his salary 58 percent this year.

F.N.B. in Pennsylvania announced Tuesday it would acquire PVF Capital, a rehabbed thrift, as a platform for C&I growth in Cleveland.

SoFi, a San Francisco startup, aims to shake up the market by offering favorable rates to borrowers with the highest earnings potential.

The Federal Reserve Board has lifted an enforcement action against Central Pacific Financial in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Rep. Maxine Waters has asked regulators for additional information regarding the work some consultants did as part of the troubled independent foreclosure review process.

Wells Fargo hired Dr. Ronald Leopold from MetLife to oversee a medical-benefits push as the largest U.S. home lender expands amid President Obama's health-care overhaul.

Banks in the Southeast are continuing to shrink their loan portfolios as they grapple with past miscues.

Southern BancShares has agreed to acquire Heritage BancShares in Lucama, N.C., for cash and stock, the companies announced Friday. The deal is expected to be completed in the second quarter.

Attendees at this year's American Bankers Association conference for community banks want to exude confidence but worries over proposed capital requirements still have them spooked.

The regulator has missed the deadline for adopting rules that would make it easier for firms to raise capital from individual investors.

Citigroup Inc. has entered an agreement to buy the Best Buy private-label card portfolio, which has about $7 billion in loans, from Capital One Financial Corp. Citi has also agreed to issue and manage new Best Buy-branded cards in the U.S.

F.N.B. Corp. (FNB) in Hermitage, Pa., will enter Cleveland after agreeing to buy PVF Capital (PVFC) for roughly $106 million, or $3.98 a share, in stock.

Ally Bank is selling a mortgage business to Walter Investment Management.