Merrill LYnch

Aftershocks from the financial crisis are still hitting U.S. banks: They're getting sued over everything from bonds stuffed with fraudulent home loans to improper foreclosures to credit card fees. Here are the five banks with the most to lose from those lawsuits.

The U.S. economy has suddenly shifted into a higher gear, and "help wanted" signs are popping up at many more companies. That's great news for the whole staffing industry, but these four firms could benefit more than most.

When Erin Duffy got her pink slip from Merrill Lynch back in August 2008, there was one silver lining. Unemployment gave her time to write a novel. The result was Bond Girl, a fun and highly autobiographical recounting of one young woman's adventures in love and bond sales on Wall Street.

Bank of America did the right thing this week, nixing its notorious $5 a month debit card fee before it began. But B of A can't win, and even now, financial journalists are wondering how it will find ways to nickel and dime its way back from this week's fee retreat at the expense of its customers.

Millionaires are back. The number of individuals worldwide with $1 million or more in assets aside from their residence grew by 8.3% to 10.9 million in 2010, topping pre-crisis 2007 levels, according to the World Wealth Report released Wednesday.

BlackRock, the world's largest publicly traded asset management firm, recently agreed to buy back Bank of America's remaining 7% stake in the company for about $2.5 billion. Trefis looks at why Bank of America is selling, what the buyback means for BlackRock, and what the effect will be for its stock.

The financial crisis was produced by a complex set of circumstances, including a massive housing bubble, poor regulation and irresponsible lending on an epic scale. A handful of bankers became the public faces of the crisis, and now, two years later, we take a look at what became of them.

Since the recession began, more than 8 million Americans have lost their jobs. But perhaps even more surprising is the small number of companies that are responsible for laying off such a large percentage of today's unemployed workers.

The Merrill Lynch division of Bank of America is starting an online brokerage, and stocks in TDAmeritrade and Charles Schwab each fell when the news came out. The change will occur June 21, and the service will be called Merrill Edge.

JetBlue Airways (JBLU) shares traded 5.5% higher in early morning trading to $6.86 following several positive analyst calls.