Capitol Bancorp in Lansing, Mich., has moved a step closer to selling a troubled unit in New Mexico.

With success in many markets riding on innovative technology, banks are turning to the tricky game of venture investing.

Barclays announced Sunday that two of its top executives will step down in the coming months. The London-based bank said that Chris Lucas, its chief financial officer, and Mark Harding, its general counsel, have agreed to remain in their jobs until the bank can identify their successors.

Unifund has named Robert Schofield as its new vice president, Strategic Alliances.

Fifth Third Bancorp has agreed to buy a credit card portfolio from Quad City Bank & Trust.

The Illinois Attorney General's Office reports it generated more than $1.1 billion in state revenue through litigation and collection efforts last year.

Promontory Interfinancial Network is adding Bank Assetpoint to its suite of products, a service designed to be a one-stop shop for bankers and real estate investors to exchange loans and REO.

U.S. Century Bank, the nation's largest undercapitalized bank, is close to a deal that would give a controlling stake to local investors.

FirstMerit's Sandra Pierce has two tough jobs. Overseeing the bank's expansion into her home state of Michigan, while leading the financial advisory board picked to rescue its biggest city.

TowneBank in Suffolk, Va., has acquired The Clement Companies, an insurance agency in Greenville, N.C.

James Abbott, recently named the best investor relations professional for mid-cap banks, understands what analysts need to know about Zions because he used to be one of them.

DBA International is currently in the process of performing an in-depth review the 162-page report issued by the Federal Trade Commission entitled “The Structure and Practices of the Debt Buying Industry.”

A Senate panel is said to be looking into warnings by a former trader at JPMorgan Chase months before his bets ballooned into a $6 billion loss for the company.

Robert Scully, a former top executive at Morgan Stanley, said he will leave the Bank of America board when his term expires.

Add First Baldwin Bancshares in Foley, Ala., to the list of companies turning to bankruptcy as a way to stabilize banking units.

Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) has agreed to buy a credit card portfolio from Quad City Bank & Trust.

Western Alliance's deal for a small industrial loan company out of bankruptcy shows that old-fashioned financial deals still have appeal for shrewd shoppers.

A once minor marketing relationship with Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has become one of the best moves ever by Baltimore's struggling First Mariner Bank.

Brookline Bancorp (BRKL) in Boston reported higher quarterly earnings after an acquisition boosted interest income.

The payments technology company plans to acquire the online banking company for its bill payment technology.