Readers react to the CFPB’s final arbitration rule, a new potential hurdle for initial coin offerings, a housing finance reform proposal and more.

Valley National's latest acquisition would make it a much bigger player in Florida and provide a platform to write more auto loans. Both markets present attractive returns but high risks.

Through the partnership, Clarity Money customers can use Acorns’ automated investing features, while Acorns users can see a snapshot of their investing activity in the Clarity app.

Up to now, the most successful fintech firms have tried to fill gaps in underserved market, not replace banks. But a new crop of U.K. startups seeking bank charters is turning up the heat.

The company will also gain $260 million in loans and $180 million in deposits from Banner Corp.

The company has agreed to buy Puget Sound Bancorp to expand in a competitive, fast-growth market.

The Blairsville, Ga., bank is in growth mode with strong second-quarter lending performances and two deals in the works, but its provision for loan losses was described as too low in one research note.

The Texas company would add seven branches and more than $300 million of assets by acquiring Valley Bancorp.

First Financial in Ohio is buying MainSource in Indiana — with a twist. MainSource's leader will become CEO.

Honors, accolades and giving back.

The acquisition would be Valley's third in the Sunshine State since 2014 and would give the New Jersey company its first branches in Alabama.

A big part of the reason banks find it tricky to attract millennials is that not all millennials are attracted to the same thing.

The Louisiana company, which recorded a large loan-loss provision to cover energy-related chargeoffs, also disclosed a new regulatory order from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

The Michigan company's profit benefited from a larger balance sheet and a reduction in merger-related expenses.

Great service is important, but in the changing financial services landscape, credit unions aren’t likely to get top-of-wallet status from members without a digital payments strategy.

The New York company, which is preparing to buy Astoria Financial, reported year-over-year increases in commercial-and-industrial and commercial real estate loans.

Union Bankshares in Virginia lost several key lending officers after it bought StellarOne. Management as a result has made changes to minimize employee flight from its latest M&A target, Xenith Bankshares.

The new Citigold program for affluent customers is more than a product — it is the centerpiece of Citigroup's vision for the future, which will also rely on branch closures and sophisticated apps.

The Michigan company had fewer gains from loan sales. It also reported an increase in noninterest expenses.

As ATMs on large bank networks increasingly use mobile phones for account access — a trend driven in part by mobile banking — non-bank ATM operators are working to enable the same features to attract mobile-savvy cash users.