Chris Cumming

Taylor Capital Group in Chicago has hired a new chief compliance officer for Cole Taylor Bank.

Waterstone Financial (WSBF) in Wauwatosa, Wis., is planning a second-step conversion.

Ed Hale, who retired as chairman and CEO of First Mariner in Baltimore more than a year ago, has invested in a local technology consulting firm called Think Systems.

The Small Business Administration is making more money available for programs that encourage investment in early-stage companies and low-income communities.

First PacTrust Bancorp in Irvine, Calif., is planning to raise more than $40 million through a sale of preferred shares.

The fast-growing First Virginia Community Bank in Fairfax said Thursday that it sold more than 1.6 million shares at $13.50 each. It plans to use the money to support growth, among other things.

The foreclosure sale rate hit a three-year high in April, as the foreclosure process slowly returns to normal after years of delays and legal disputes.

The 2013 Data Breach Fraud Impact study from Javelin Strategy and Research shows that breaches can lead to billions of dollars in consumer-fraud charges in addition to costs they impose on institutions whose systems are compromised.

Atlantic Coast Financial Corp. has settled litigation with shareholders who objected the terms of its proposed merger with Bond Street Holdings.

Virginia Heritage Bank in Tysons Corner has begun a common stock offering.

Haven Bancorp in Hoboken has agreed to buy Hilltop Community Bancorp (HTBC) in Summit in a merger of New Jersey banks.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has sued U.S. Bank for its role in the Peregrine Financial collapse, alleging that it failed to properly handle the failed brokerage's customer accounts.

The House Oversight Committee is pressing the Federal Housing Administration for more details on its financial picture after learning that the insurer's unfunded liability could potentially be nearly nine times higher than it previously disclosed.

First Commonwealth Bank in Indiana, Pa., has hired Jane Grebenc as its new president.

Wisconsin Bank & Trust in Madison has given its longtime president the additional title of chief executive.

Taylor Capital Group (TAYC) in Chicago plans to enter the mortgage-servicing business through the purchase of servicing rights and facilities from Liberty Savings Bank of Wilmington, Ohio.

Union Bank in San Francisco has created a new bank account designed for the underbanked.

Bay Banks of Virginia in Kilmarnock is reducing its workforce due to a decline in branch traffic.

Umpqua Holdings in Portland, Ore., has agreed to buy Financial Pacific Holding in Federal Way, Wash.

SunTrust is expected to announce Tuesday that it plans to put financial counselors in its branches as part of a pilot program with Operation HOPE, a nonprofit that works to provide financial literacy training to low-income families.