Chris Cumming

Many mutuals feel pressure to sell or switch charters. But there's another option.

Korean-American banks have been challenged by an aging core customer base, which threatens growth. Hanmi Chief Executive C.G. Kum plans to respond with a national SBA program and plans to court other immigrant communities.

Three of Certus' ousted executives depict a behind-the-scenes struggle at the Greenville, S.C., bank as management, directors and investors were often working at cross purposes. The lawsuit also discusses a possible merger with an unnamed bank that never took place.

Bigger banks have shifted their efforts to deposit growth in advance of proposed liquidity rules. As a result, community banks are seeing more opportunities to lend, particularly in commercial lines that were once the domain of larger lenders.

The lawsuit claims that Benjamin Weinger of 3-Sigma Value conspired with certain directors to defame the executives before the board fired them earlier this month.

Board members and prospects are nervous about personable liability, given a rise in government lawsuits against former directors of failed banks. While banks typically carry insurance for directors, it is unclear how much protection those policies provide.

PrivateBancorp (PVTB) in Chicago beat quarterly earnings estimates as its lending revenue and credit quality continued to improve.

Executives at U.S. Bancorp, PNC and Huntington all sounded cautiously optimistic about lending opportunities and each has a favorite region when it comes to finding borrowers.

Citigroup's (NYSE: C) better-than-expected quarterly results offered a break from months of bad news, but it will have to be a short one.

Behind Citigroup's first-quarter results that momentarily pleased investors are darker signs: rising legal and restructuring costs that take away from efforts to reenergize revenue.

The Greenville, S.C., company hired John Poelker as interim CEO and ousted its top executives less than two weeks after allegations of financial mismanagement surfaced. Poelker, known for stabilizing struggling banks, could be tasked with cleaning Certus up for a buyer.

CertusBank has terminated its top executive team, effective immediately, the $1.7 billion-asset bank announced Wednesday.

Barney Frank, Maxine Waters and nine other Democrats urged financial regulators in 2010 to consider Certus' charter as a way to create a large minority-run bank headed by managers of "unquestioned character." That bank's big problems since suggest that, at minimum, the vote of confidence was misguided.

John and Bill Wheeler went as far as giving away foreclosed properties to reduce maintenance fees and bad assets. As a result, State Bank of Countryside has returned to profitability and is ready to start lending again.

Charles M. Williams, co-chief executive of CertusBank, has quit the Greenville, S.C., company amid allegations of gross mismanagement.

First Federal and Bay View are combining similar sized institutions that have complementary infrastructure, earnings and products. Though small, the deal could serve as a model for mutuals interested in keeping their charter and culture.

Five banking executives, led by Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs and Richard Davis of U.S. Bancorp, made a career website's list of the most popular CEOs among employees.

The "dream team" of bankers who set up Greenville, S.C.-based CertusBank attracted half a billion dollars from hedge funds to buy failed banks. Lately, the focus has shifted to big losses, lavish spending and payments to a consulting firm owned by top executives.

As credit union leaders visit D.C., banks unleash a big campaign opposing their federal tax exemption.

Record profits at agriculture-focused rural banks could be coming to an end. Farm revenue is expected to decline sharply this year, and ag lenders are watching warily to see if this is a one-year blip or the start of a downturn.