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The U.S. pay czar has begun reviewing the appropriateness of the richest pay packages proposed by firms that received billions of dollars in government aid.

The pay czar tasked by the U.S. government with ruling on the eye-popping compensation of some of Wall Street's top earners is far from a stranger to big paychecks and the trappings of wealth.

The U.S. Federal Reserve asked a federal judge not to enforce her order that it reveal the names of the banks that have participated in its emergency lending programs and the sums they received, saying such disclosure would threaten the companies and the economy.

Robert McCann, former head of Merrill Lynch's wealth management unit, is in talks to settle a suit he filed August 24 against Bank of America Corp seeking to lift a noncompete clause, allowing him to join a chief rival, a source with direct knowledge of the situation said.

Robert McCann, former head of Merrill Lynch's wealth management unit, is in talks to settle a suit he filed Aug. 24 against Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) seeking to lift a noncompete clause, allowing him to join a chief rival, a source with direct knowledge of the situation said.

India's Bharti Airtel and South Africa's MTN hope to finalize by mid-September a deal that could lead to a full merger, with the Indian firm adding another adviser and getting closer to lining up loans, three sources said.

More recovery signs; SEC says 'Reveal; Shrugs for Goldman

A federal judge ordered Bank of America to explain why it agreed to pay $33 million to settle a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit if it believed it properly disclosed bonuses it authorized for Merrill Lynch & Co employees.

(Corrects word in paragraph 2 to 'settlement' from 'statement')

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to do a better job of explaining why it did not pursue allegations that Bank of America Corp lied in its proxy statement about its approval of bonuses for Merrill Lynch & Co employees.

In late August's quiet trading, four troubled financial companies have accounted for a big piece of total volume on the New York Stock Exchange, with all four rallying on little news.

Bank of America Corp and the top U.S. securities regulator sought to persuade a judge to approve their $33 million settlement of a civil lawsuit over the lack of disclosure of billions of dollars of bonuses at Merrill Lynch & Co.

Credit Card Industry Challenged; GM May Keep Opel; Last Try for 'Clunkers'

Bank of America Corp mounted an aggressive defense of Merrill Lynch & Co's awarding of $3.6 billion of bonuses last year, as it tries to persuade a federal judge to approve a settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over its own disclosures.

Bank of America Corp has agreed to pay $150 million to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing the former Merrill Lynch & Co of misleading investors in connection with the sale of bonds and preferred stock, court records show.

Banks are close to finalising South African telecom group MTN's 4.5 billion syndicated loan backing its proposed merger with Indian mobile phone company Bharti Airtel, bankers close to the deal said on Friday.

A federal judge has ruled that Bank of America Corp cannot have a lawsuit by investors seeking to force it to buy back mortgages heard in federal court, saying he lacks jurisdiction to decide the case.

Wall Street is warily watching the Obama administration's pay czar and wondering if he will flex his muscle to claw back past bonuses paid to some of the biggest players in high finance.

Macquarie Group Ltd, Australia's top investment bank, agreed to buy U.S. asset manager Delaware Investments for $428 million in cash from Lincoln National Corp, continuing a trend of consolidation in the fund management business.

Macquarie Group Ltd , Australia's top investment bank, agreed to buy U.S. asset manager Delaware Investments for $428 million in cash from Lincoln National Corp , continuing a trend of consolidation in the fund management business.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch said on Tuesday it hired banking veteran Brad Cameron to head its Canadian mergers and acquisitions team, the latest sign a capital markets pick-up may be in the making in Canada.

Global miner Rio Tinto agreed to sell its Alcan packaging unit for about $2 billion to Australia's Amcor Ltd , easing its debt burden after an ill-timed acquisition two years ago.

The rate of U.S. credit card defaults showed signs of stabilizing last month, an indication that American consumers may not be in as bad shape as feared despite job losses and the housing slump.

Charles Schwab Corp was sued by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who accused the discount brokerage of fraudulently misleading investors about the safety of auction-rate securities.

The rate of U.S. credit card defaults showed signs of stabilizing last month, an indication that American consumers are in better financial shape than feared despite job losses and the housing slump.

The rate of U.S. credit card defaults showed signs of stabilizing last month, an indication that American consumers are in better financial shape than feared despite job losses and the housing slump.

(Corrects third paragraph to show defaults fell to 13.81 percent, not 13.82 percent)

The rate of U.S. credit card defaults showed signs of stabilizing last month, an indication that American consumers are in better financial shape than feared despite job losses and the housing slump.

U.S. stocks slid on Monday, dropping after a bleak outlook from home improvement giant Lowe's and weak economic figures from Japan reignited concerns about world demand.