Andy Peters is a community banking reporter at American Banker. He was previously a reporter for Bloomberg News and for the Daily Report, a legal newspaper in Atlanta. He got his start in journalism as an intern for The New York Times, working under Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Rick Bragg.

Sooner, Not Later: Oklahoma Getting More Looks from Outsiders
May 17, 2013 Commerce Bancshares is the latest bank to announce plans to buy a small bank in Oklahoma, which boasts one of the nation's...

Cathay General to Enter Las Vegas with Branch Deal
May 15, 2013 Cathay General Bancorp has agreed to acquire about $40 million of deposits and a Las Vegas branch from SWNB Bancorp, marking...

Small Banks' Speed Advantage Threatened by Online Lenders
May 15, 2013 Community banks often promise to move quicker on loan applications than big, bureaucratic banks. But online lenders are...

Independent of Mass. to Acquire Mayflower for $37 Million
May 14, 2013 Independent Bank Corp. agreed to acquire Mayflower Bancorp in its second deal for a Massachusetts company in the past year.

Florida Banker's Caution Says a Lot About Why M&A Is Slow
May 14, 2013 Bill Smith, the head of Capital City Bank Group in Tallashassee, Fla., speaks for many bankers when he says he's ready to...

First Merchants Sets Up Shop on Chicago's Outskirts with CFS Deal
May 13, 2013 First Merchants in Muncie, Ind., was looking to get closer — but not too close — to the Chicago market when it agreed to buy...

MainStreet Bank Shareholders Urge Virginia Bank to Sell Itself
May 10, 2013 Two shareholders of MainStreet Bank (MNSB), in Herndon, Va., have reportedly asked investors to push for a sale of the $271...

California Thrift's Woes Show Challenges Competing with Payday Lenders
May 9, 2013 After 18 months, One PacificCoast pulled the plug on a money-losing lending program it hoped would compete with payday lenders.

Sun Bancorp to Close Three New Jersey Branches
May 9, 2013 Sun Bancorp (SNBC) in Vineland, N.J., will close three branches near the Philadelphia suburbs as looks to cut costs.

ServisFirst Snags Former BancTrust Chief, Lending Team
May 6, 2013 Bibb Lamar opted to join ServisFirst rather than stay at Trustmark, which acquired BancTrust in February. His team will help...