Jim Dobbs

The Canadian banking giant established a nine-month window to finish its $13.4 billion purchase of First Horizon, which could be challenging given the tighter regulatory scrutiny of bank M&A. After November, the price tag will go up.

The New York bank said it called off the acquisition of Amalgamated Bank of Chicago because it has been unable to obtain regulatory approval. But the seller expressed hope that the deal could still move forward.

Brad Bolton, incoming chairman of the Independent Community Bankers of America, wants the advocacy group to push back against overly broad policymaking and credit unions' tax status, while opening the door to cannabis banking.

The Federal Reserve and the FDIC are weighing changes to their policies for reviewing mergers and acquisitions, and that’s creating a sense of urgency among bankers to cinch deals now.

An ultracompetitive job market is forcing lenders to boost salaries, requiring many to caution investors that expenses could jump before profits from higher rates are realized.

In the year's first instance of a credit union buying a bank, Georgia’s Own Credit Union in Atlanta has agreed to acquire nearby Vinings Bank. The Peach State is home to more than 300 banks, making it ripe for such deals.

With their costs soaring, farmers may need credit to make ends meet. Bankers see this as a chance to offer more loans, but worry that some borrowers may not be able to make their payments.

The process is expected to begin this summer and extend into late 2023, ultimately saving the Iowa company about $20 million annually.

Four-fifths of the state's community banks have disappeared since the start of the 2008 financial crisis. The founder of the newly chartered Scottsdale Community Bank calls the market "drastically underbanked."

Community bankers are excited that the Federal Reserve is poised to raise interest rates, which would make loans more profitable — unless rates rise so much they suppress demand.