JPMorgan Chase the nation's largest bank and one of its biggest mortgage lenders, temporarily halted foreclosures Friday and offered to renegotiate a swathe of mortgages.

Stocks declined Monday, led by financials, as investors waited for some resolution on Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Lehman Brothers following rampant speculation last week.

Stocks declined Monday as oil prices ticked higher. Volume is expected to be low this week as the summer winds down.

Stocks declined Monday as oil prices ticked higher. Volume is expected to be low this week as the summer winds down.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower start for Wall Street, but markets could see big swings in what's likely to be a week of lower volumes as the summer winds down.

Indiana has sued Countrywide Financial, becoming the latest state to take the mortgage lender to court over its lending practices.

Bank of America, the largest U.S. retail bank, said on Thursday it received subpoenas and requests for information relating to auction-rate securities from federal and state government agencies.

San Diego City Attorney Michael Aguirre said Wednesday he filed a lawsuit against Bank of America Corp and its Countrywide unit to prevent the mortgage lenders from foreclosing on homes in his city, which he aims to make a "foreclosure sanctuary."

The recent spate of  takeovers, particularly in pharmaceuticals, represents the first step in what analysts expect to be a busier second half of the year for mergers and acquisitions.

Investors interested in buying and selling U.S. bank stocks based on the performance of the underlying businesses might well have gone on holiday this week  --  and might stay there next week.

Countrywide Home Loans has agreed to pay $325,000 to the Chapter 13 bankruptcy trustee in Pittsburgh, settling a matter that accused the lender of abusive practices in almost 300 mortgage loans overseen by the court.

A mortgage rescue to help hundreds of thousands of struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure and get more affordable, safer loans passed the Senate overwhelmingly Friday, but it faces a bumpy road amid continuing turmoil in the housing market.

A long-stalled mortgage rescue inched Thursday toward Senate passage, only to be sent back to the House for more votes and intense negotiations to resolve disputes.