Robert Barba is one of American Banker's community banking reporters. His beat includes covering community banks in the Midwest, but he additionally focuses on M&A activity and monitors bank failures nationwide. Robert has appeared on Fox Business to discuss bank failures and the Treasury Department’s Troubled Asset Relief Program. Prior to American Banker, Robert was a general business reporter at Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers in Stuart, Fla., where he covered everything from biotechnology to the volatile Florida real estate market. He began his career as a business desk intern at The Denver Post and Boulder Daily Camera. Robert is based in Chicago.

Regulators Close Two Midwest Banks
February 10, 2012 The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency closed two Midwestern banks Friday, bringing the failure tally so far this year...

Regulatory Delay May Pay Off for Private Equity in ECB Deal
February 9, 2012 Investors in the North Carolina bank get a chance to renegotiate for better terms after regulators said to move slowly in...

Merger Wave Will Swell in 2013 to 2015 as Weak Banks Succumb, Firm Predicts
February 8, 2012 The gap between healthy banks and those that remain in the doldrums will fuel acquisition activity in the coming years, a...

Old Second Has Negative Equity as Credit Issues Remain
February 7, 2012 The Illinois company's bank remained well-capitalized at year-end, but the company's stubborn portfolio of nonperforming...

Regulators Throw Penalty Flag Against Football Player Turned Banker
February 2, 2012 The FDIC has fined Stuart Voigt, a former Vikings player, and wants to ban him from banking after accusing him of improper...

Tax Advantage Providing Capital Lift to Once-Struggling Bank
February 1, 2012 Several banks recaptured deferred tax assets in the fourth quarter, regaining an asset they had to remove from balance sheets...

A Challenging Question
February 1, 2012 There have always been regulatory impediments to the pursuit of profit, but bankers are increasingly worried about how to...

MountainOne in Massachusetts Merging Two of Its Thrifts
January 31, 2012 MountainOne Financial Partners in North Adams, Mass., is merging two of its thrifts under one charter in an effort to become...

Republic, FDIC Make Up With Failed-Bank Transfer
January 30, 2012 Republic Bancorp and the FDIC seemed to have put last year's legal tussle to rest after reaching an agreement to transfer...

Citizens Republic Makes Progress Reinventing Its Loan Book
January 27, 2012 Citizens Republic Bancorp Inc.'s total loan portfolio shrunk $500 million last year, but it entered 2012 with big strides in...