Continuing its string of insurance agency deals, BB&T Corp. announced Friday that it is buying the life and property and casualty insurance divisions of Crump Group Inc. for about $570 million in cash.

BankAtlantic Bancorp Chairman Alan Levan says his company would likely be "out of business" within two years if certain investors succeed in blocking the sale of BankAtlantic's thrift to BB&T Corp.

Provident Financial Holdings Inc. in Riverside, Calif., has hired 40 people from MetLife Inc. to run three new retail mortgage loan production offices in Northern California.

Ally Financial is "on par" with any top-tier financial company — as long as analysts ignore the massive mortgage problems that made the lender lose $250 million in the fourth quarter, CEO Michael Carpenter says.

In what would be its first bank acquisition in seven years, Center Bancorp Inc. in Union, N.J., announced Thursday that it is buying the private-equity backed Saddle River Valley Bank in an all-cash deal.

Oft-shunned in the M&A world, unlisted shares can lead to a bigger payoff for sellers and offer other advantages, explains investment banker Curtis Carpenter.

MADRID - A potential merger between Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA and Bankia SA would be difficult to execute because of its size and potential systemic risks, BBVA Chairman Francisco Gonzalez said Thursday.

LONDON - HSBC Holdings PLC will shutter its fund administration business in the U.S. and shift it to Ireland in one of the global bank's latest moves to control costs and refocus its sprawling business, people familiar with the matter said this week.

FTN Financial, the investment-banking arm of First Tennessee Bank, announced Wednesday that it has acquired Main Street Capital Advisors LLC, a boutique consulting firm that specializes in advising state and local governments.

Several banks recaptured deferred tax assets in the fourth quarter, regaining an asset they had to remove from balance sheets as quarterly losses piled up during the financial crisis. Banks that are reclaiming these assets have been able to boost capital levels.

The Minneapolis bank has agreed to buy a trust business from Union Bank. That is its third deal in less than a week.

As banks continue to shed their private equity portfolios for regulatory and other reasons, PNC spin-off Incline raises money for a new investment fund and continues to work with its former owner.

Losses at Florida Community Bank narrowed in the fourth quarter after the Miami bank trimmed overhead by cutting 10% of its workforce.

The fact of the matter is that banks can manipulate earnings, and consequently capital, through decisions about loss provisioning.

With two of its largest investors pressuring it to find a buyer, First California Financial Group Inc. in Westlake Village has hired an unnamed investment bank to help it explore its options.

With six acquisitions under its belt and a seventh in the works, the Los Angeles company strikes again with a deal for Phoenix business bank.

Familiar merger concepts are blowing up at a time when branch networks are being relegated to more of a supportive role.

Exchange operators Deutsche Boerse AG and NYSE Euronext Wednesday said the European Union has informed them of its decision to prohibit the planned $17 billion combination.

Legislators in California on Tuesday pushed through tougher regulations for the collection industry, approving a bill opponents say will create an unfair burden on debt buyers by requiring excessive documentation and restricting legitimate collection efforts.

The regulatory nod that allowed prepaid card company Green Dot to buy a bank marked a culmination of founder Steve Streit's rocky, years-long effort to move from the profitable fringes of banking into the mainstream.