Rachel Witkowski is a community banking reporter at American Banker. She focuses on banks under $20 billion in assets specializing in the Southeast and California. Prior to American Banker, Rachel worked at the Jacksonville Business Journal covering banks, insurance services and public companies in Northeast Florida. During her four years at the JBJ, Rachel was recognized by several trade associations for articles related to Florida’s financial industry downfall and the hurricane insurance crisis after 2006.

Texas Banking Group Pushes for Sale of Ailing Credit Union
February 10, 2012 The Texas Bankers Association is irked about a he National Credit Union Administration's decision to infuse $60 million into...

Texas Bankers Are Engaging in M&A Standoff
February 8, 2012 The Lone Star State seems like an ideal place to kickstart stagnant bank consolidation. But good markets and loan growth are...

Regulators Ready and Willing to Flag Banks for Troubled-Debt Miscues
February 3, 2012 Regulators, particularly the OCC, are hitting banks with consent orders for erroneous accounting for troubled-debt...

Community West Reports $8.6 Million Loss, Discloses Enforcement Action
February 1, 2012 Community West Bank in Goleta, Calif., is under orders from its regulator to beef up its capital levels and improve oversight...

With Guns (and Credit) At the Ready
February 1, 2012 A tiny Texas bank tries to ward off its biggest threats.

Florida Community Eliminates 60 Jobs
February 1, 2012 Losses at Florida Community Bank narrowed in the fourth quarter after the Miami bank trimmed overhead by cutting 10% of its...

CenterState's Corbett Gets the Boss Before He Gets the Bank
January 31, 2012 CenterState Bank in Winter Haven, Fla., bought a failed bank Friday. John Corbett, the head of CenterState, hired the target's...

Bank Acquisitions Help Florida's CenterState Return to Profitability
January 30, 2012 CenterState Banks Inc. posted its first quarterly profit since mid-2011 because of bank acquisitions.

Hancock in Mississippi Reports Earnings Hit From Merger Costs
January 27, 2012 Hancock Holding Co.'s fourth-quarter results included hefty costs associated with buying Whitney Holding Corp.

United Community to Emphasize Cost Cutting Over Growth
January 27, 2012 Last year, United Community flirted with the notion of exiting the Tarp and buying failed banks. Now management is talking...