Hilary Burns

The company said it could use proceeds to fund organic growth or acquisitions.

The company said that Michael Segner had also succeeded Stephen Mourlam as its president.

Organizers of new banks want to cater to underbanked minorities, entrepreneurs, military veterans and other specialized groups.

The move is important for new banks in states like California, where a small-business lending program requires a three-star rating from the agency.

Eagle Bancorp Montana is gaining four branches and $94 million in deposits with its $19 million purchase of Big Muddy Bancorp.

Hanmi Financial in Los Angeles will pay more of the deal price in cash, prompting SWNB Bancorp to postpone its shareholder vote.

The first meeting is structured like a job interview. After that, organizers should expect plenty of questions about money, management and markets.

Keith Mestrich, who runs the union-founded bank, plans to use a more liquid stock to pursue acquisitions in cities such as Boston, Seattle and Los Angeles.

Merger announcements typically follow a tried-and-true formula of cutting costs to boost profit. WSFS, however, plans to reinvest $32 million in new tech initiatives after buying Beneficial.

While most acquirers are content to let cost savings trickle down to the bottom line, WSFS will use the purchase of Beneficial to reinvent itself.

Bank organizers are picking one another's brains about hiring decisions, applications and raising capital as part of the monthslong effort to secure charters.

Bankers at Sonoma Valley Bank were convicted of bank fraud, money laundering and other offenses.

A task force created by the American Bankers Association asserts that applying for a bank charter is too time-consuming and that some de novo rules are too rigid.

At least six groups are exploring opening new banks in the state, which is enjoying an economic recovery and has a dearth of local financial institutions.

Organizers of Dogwood State Bank want to open Raleigh's first new bank since the financial crisis.

Veritex will take advantage of accounting rules in its deal for Green Bancorp, a larger bank with lingering energy exposure.

Florida created headaches for the Georgia company during the financial crisis. Increased discipline, and wholesale changes to banking, make the $3 billion purchase of FCB Financial less risky, CEO Kessel Stelling says.

Avidia Bank in Massachusetts collaborated with Exhibit 'A' Brewing to produce and sell an IPA as part of a plan to boost marketing to small businesses and millennials.

The Los Angeles company, which focuses on Korean-Americans, aims to raise $50 million.

Organizers of Gainey Business Bank, a bank planned in Scottsdale, received approval from the state's banking regulator to raise capital while completing a charter application.