THE LATEST

• May 19, 2013

  Sucking a Business Dry

  WSJ.com

  Sometimes private-equity firms do little more than suck up money like a vacuum cleaner and leave someone else holding a big, ol' dusty bag full of debt.

• April 21, 2013

  Squid Sells SeaWorld

  WSJ.com

  SeaWorld Entertainment launched its initial public stock offering on Friday, and among the lead underwriters was Goldman Sachs, the great vampire squid.

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  April 18, 2013

  Debbie Downers on Wall Street

  WSJ.com

  Whatever happened to Debbie Downer? She was the character on "Saturday Night Live" who always spoiled the party with her pessimistic view.Apparently, Debbie left the show and joined a bank.

• April 14, 2013

  Limited Relief in Foreclosure Pact

  WSJ.com

  The vast majority of borrowers being compensated for mortgage-related abuses will get $1,000 or less apiece.About four million borrowers will share $3.6 billion in cash as part of a settlement between federal regulators and banks accused of ...

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  April 4, 2013

  Wells Hit on Pace of Mortgage Relief; New York Attorney General Says Banks Lags Behind Peers in Carrying Out Foreclosure Settlement

  WSJ.com

  New York's top prosecutor is raising concerns about the pace of relief provided to the state's mortgage borrowers by Wells Fargo & Co. under a landmark $25 billion settlement, in the latest sign of dissatisfaction with the ...

• March 22, 2013

  Buy a home in Europe, get a lower interest rate? Lenders abroad may offer better deals, but approval can be tougher

  MarketWatch

  Looking to live abroad? Americans who get a mortgage from an overseas lender can end up with lower interest rates, more lenient repayment terms and tax perks to boot.

• March 19, 2013

  Should you switch to an online-only bank? The growing appeal of Web-based checking and savings accounts

  MarketWatch

  With financial institutions making a push into online-only checking and savings accounts, some industry insiders say this could be a defining year for Internet banking. But does it make sense for customers to adopt a purely web-based model?

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  March 19, 2013

  Citi Settles Case for $730 Million; Large Payment Resolves Investor Claims That Bank Misled Them in Several Bond, Preferred Offerings

  WSJ.com

  Citigroup Inc. agreed to pay $730 million to settle claims that it misled investors in four dozen bond and preferred-stock offerings over more than two years, in the second-largest settlement of investor litigation tied to the financial ...

• March 10, 2013

  Say No to Overdraft Pitches

  WSJ.com

  Some banks are ramping up their pitches for overdraft-protection services. But in most cases, you should just say "No, thanks."Banks are marketing either a program where overdraft transactions are covered for a fee or one that allows you to ...

• February 28, 2013

  U.S. breaks down $9.3 bln robo-signing settlement; Largest fine hits B. of A., which must provide $2.9 bln in assistance

  MarketWatch

  WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Federal regulators on Thursday detailed a $9.3 billion settlement with 13 banks over foreclosure abuses stemming from the so-called robo-signing scandal, a deal that government officials say is expected to help ...

• February 26, 2013

  Financial advisers’ new conflict of interest? Credit cards, mortgages, and loans now a lucrative side business

  MarketWatch

  Wall Street’s army of financial advisers has long told clients which stocks, bonds and mutual funds to buy. Now many of those pros are adding mortgages to their pitch list.

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  February 14, 2013

  Want to Dump Your Bank? Now There Is an App for That

  WSJ.com

  In March 2011, amid the launch of Apple Inc.'s second-generation iPad, I wrote about how banks could learn from the Cupertino, Calif., company's business model.

• February 8, 2013

  Ski resorts cheer blizzard’s arrival; Two feet of snow is money in the bank for ski resorts

  MarketWatch

  While people across the northeast braced for the worst as the blizzard approached, owners of the region’s ski resorts popped champagne bottles.

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  February 6, 2013

  Fifth Third Expands Job-Retraining Program for Borrowers

  WSJ.com

  Unemployed and three months behind on her mortgage, Marcy Novak had stopped opening mail from her bank when an overnight letter arrived that would help put her back on her feet.

• February 6, 2013

  So God made a banker; Commentary: A commercial for the next Super Bowl?

  MarketWatch

  To be read in the voice of Paul Harvey.And on the eighth day God looked down on his planned paradise and said, “I need someone who can flip this for a quick buck.”

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  January 17, 2013

  Charges Weigh on Bank of America's Profit

  WSJ.com

  Bank of America Corp.'s fourth-quarter profit plunged 63% as the banking giant was weighed down by billions in charges related to a dispute with Fannie Mae and a foreclosure settlement.

• January 16, 2013

  The rising cost of travel-card rewards; Travel rewards are getting more generous — but with strings attached

  MarketWatch

  After tinkering with their credit-card rewards programs for the past few years, banks are now placing renewed attention on travel cards.In their latest promotions, banks are offering more introductory points or miles to consumers who sign ...

• January 14, 2013

  Woman battles bank giants over faulty foreclosure; Commentary: $8.5 billion bad-mortgage settlement doesn’t cover her

  MarketWatch

  DENVER (MarketWatch) — Caylin Crawford found herself out of work after a snowboarding accident and went to U.S. Bank for some help with her mortgage.

• January 13, 2013

  Bank Fees—What Are They Good For?

  WSJ.com

  From mandatory-arbitration clauses that waive jury trials to fees on empty envelopes and cash deposits, your bank is keeping disclosures tied to your checking accounts heavily cloaked in fine print and sometimes not in any print at all.

• January 7, 2013

  Banks in $8.5 bln foreclosure abuse settlement; Deal expedites and expands reach of payment to troubled borrowers

  MarketWatch

  WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Federal regulators on Monday reached an $8.5 billion settlement with ten banks over foreclosure abuses stemming from the so-called robo-signing scandal, a deal that government officials say is expected to help ...