Many big banks still aren't being upfront about their checking-account fees and are even charging more for some basic functions, a new study says.

Three Recent Decisions Cite Established Idaho Law Affirming MERS' Rights FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS: Jason Lobo Phone: 703.652.1660 Email: jasonl@mersinc.org Reston, Virginia, October 11, 2012 -MERSCORP Holdings, Inc. today announced that the United States District Court for the District of Idaho recently ruled in favor of Mortgage Electronic Registrations Systems, Inc. (MERS) and other Defendants in three (3) different matters.  These rulings follow four similar decisions in September 2012. In each of the rulings below, the Court again rejected Plaintiffs' challenges to MERS' role as trust deed beneficiary and its authority to assign the deed of trust to the foreclosing lender.  The Courts also rejected Plaintiffs' claims that MERS caused the promissory note to become "split" from the trust deed or that Defendants must produce a copy of the Plaintiffs' original promissory note to foreclose non-judicially under Idaho law. In Van Kirk v. Bank of America Corporation , Chief Judge B. Lynn Winmill adopted Judge Ronald E. Bush's recommendation to grant the Defendants' motion to dismiss on all but one count.  Judge Winmill subsequently dismissed the final count himself finding that the Defendants complied with the non-judicial foreclosure statute.  "In reaching his recommendation, Judge Bush correctly rejected Plaintiff's argument..." Judge Winmill held.  "MERS is a valid beneficiary, as explained in section C2 of the Report and Recommendation from Judge Bush.  Any argument to the contrary has been rejected by multiple jurisdictions, including the District of Idaho and the Ninth Circuit." In Purdy v. Aegis Wholesale Corporation , Judge Bush recommended dismissal of all but one count of the Plaintiff's complaint; however in his order adopting Judge Bush's recommendation District Judge Edward J. Lodge ordered a dismissal of the one remaining...

Despite their status as perpetual whipping boy, one prominent analyst thinks the country needs too-big-to-fail banks to survive.

Speech at the Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.

EU Said to Weigh Delaying Basel Bank Rules for Up to a Year Bloomberg The European Union may push back the deadline for applying tougher Basel bank-capital rules for as long as a year after warnings from lenders that pressing ahead with the original timetable may drive up their costs, according to three people familiar with ...

In another sign that the still shaky housing recovery might be finding its footing, foreclosure filings in some of the hardest hit states of the housing crash have plummeted dramatically, and overall the nation is seeing the lowest level of foreclosure activity since 2007.

California Leading US Out of Housing Bust: Mortgages Businessweek California, the state that led the U.S. into the housing boom and bust with some of the most reckless subprime mortgage lending, is now leading the way out. A plunge in new defaults in California helped push U.S. foreclosure filings to the lowest level in almost ...

FSB to Bolster Defenses Against Too-Big-to-Fail Financial Firms Businessweek International regulators backed tougher rules for banks whose collapse might roil national economies and for globally systemic insurers as they agreed to bolster defenses against too-big-to-fail financial institutions. Authorities are committed to boosting the ...

U.S stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Thursday after cuts by two central banks helped ease investor worries about growth and after the IMF said Greece should be granted more time to implement austerity and reforms.