PAYBACK: Ten major banks agreed to pay $8.5 billion to settle federal complaints that they wrongfully foreclosed on homeowners who should have been allowed to stay in their homes.

END OF STORY: The settlement ends a process of reviewing foreclosure files required by a 2011 federal enforcement action. The banks include JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo.

HOW MUCH PER HOME? The settlement covers up to 3.8 million people whose homes were in foreclosure in 2009 and 2010. All will receive some compensation, with an average of $2,237 per homeowner, although payments are expected to vary widely.