To satisfy a condition of its sale to BancorpSouth, Cadence Bancorp is selling the branches to First Bancshares in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Hoping to slow the pace of deals, the Independent Community Bankers of America is urging lawmakers to impose a tax on credit unions that acquire small banks. One credit union CEO called the proposal a "gimmick."

The agency proposed reporting standards for any institution that originates 25 or more small-business loans a year. The measure would be especially burdensome for very small lenders and could limit credit access in underserved communities, critics say.

The European Central Bank is stepping up pressure on lenders to prepare for stress tests next year that will show just how vulnerable the industry is to climate change, according to people familiar with the process.

Adrienne Harris, who did stints at the Treasury Department and National Economic Council during the Obama administration, would succeed Linda Lacewell as superintendent of the state's Department of Financial Services.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is soliciting feedback on banks' experiences with remote exams during the pandemic. Some welcome the review as a step toward a more modern examination system, while others contend the last year and a half exposed the drawbacks of long-distance oversight.

The Houston company has agreed to pay a $3 million penalty, provide $4 million in loan subsidies to new borrowers and make other investments aimed at improving home buying opportunities for Black and Hispanic households.

Regulators are calling for creative alternatives to the arduous de novo process. Pairing groups that want to open credit unions with lagging institutions would be quicker and could help preserve the sector, one credit union service organization says.

Banks talk a good game about thwarting fraud and protecting consumers and businesses, but the experiences of this author, a former bank regulator, illustrate how the quality of such efforts varies dramatically from one bank to the next.

Critics of consolidation say the Federal Reserve and other agencies are too quick to greenlight bank deals. But the truth is banks face many hurdles to merger approval, and they don’t bother to apply — or take a hint and withdraw their applications — if they can’t clear them all.

The agency's new platform can reach a decision on Paycheck Protection Program loan reimbursement in minutes and has handled hundreds of thousands of applications since its Aug. 4 debut. The original process required a lengthy form.

The agency signaled during the Trump administration that it would approve more industrial loan companies following an extended freeze in new charters due to policy disputes. But the thaw will likely prove temporary now that the board's makeup has changed.

The measure bans banks that discriminate against gunmakers from entering into government contracts. Citigroup, which supporters of the law were targeting, has lost market share while Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase have gained ground.

The U.S. and its neighbor to the north are each developing frameworks to give consumers control over financial data and allow companies to transfer account information. A recently issued Canadian government report could influence efforts in both countries, analysts say.

Fintechs were almost five times more likely than traditional lenders to be involved with suspicious loans issued through the U.S. government’s Paycheck Protection Program, according to a new study.

Financial Services Superintendent Linda Lacewell said she will step down Aug. 24, the same day Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to leave following a sexual harassment investigation. The state’s attorney general found that Lacewell helped with the governor’s public relations response to the allegations.

This year's assessment for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is the first to take into account a January agreement between the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the Treasury Department that allowed the companies to retain more earnings.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development and Federal Housing Finance Agency, which supervises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, formed a pact to share information and coordinate investigations of potential fair-lending violations.

The billionaire entrepreneur, Dallas Mavericks owner and "Shark Tank" co-host has always been outspoken. In a recent interview, he shared his thoughts on the shortcomings of the Paycheck Protection Program, the problem with bank consolidation and the future of cryptocurrency.

The e-commerce giant is adding a surcharge for Visa credit card payments in Singapore. It's a tactic reminiscent of the time its big-box rival outright banned the card brand in Thunder Bay, Ontario, in a bid to lower its costs.