Jim Dobbs

Weak loan demand, persistently low yields and the continued struggles of sectors such as hospitality and retail are among the myriad lending challenges facing small regional banks.

The family-owned bank from the South and the New York commercial lender each would fill a clear need for the other. First Citizens would gain business lending expertise and an online deposit-gathering platform, and CIT would get the cheap deposits it coveted.

The Illinois company will shutter 17 locations, or about 15% of its branches, early next year.

Spending is up and deferrals are down sharply, signaling that the economy has turned a corner, CEO Brian Moynihan said. The outlook stood in stark contrast to JPMorgan Chase, which set aside more funds to address potential exposure in consumer banking.

Deferrals may be hiding credit issues, leading lenders to track deposit flows, property maintenance and other factors to gauge the true health of their portfolios.

The Small Business Administration has been covering six months of principal, interest and fees for loans that existed on Sept. 27. There are concerns the moves are masking weaknesses in lenders' 7(a) portfolios.

Low rates and intense competition might lead some banks to ease underwriting standards in 2021, when the economy may not yet have recovered.

Atlantic Community Bankers Bank must improve its anti-money- laundering and Bank Secrecy Act policies and procedures.

The pending sale of Umpqua Investments should free up funds for the company to invest in other businesses.

The moves are intended to offset a protracted period of historically low interest rates and expectations of higher credit costs in 2021.

The company, which expressed concerns about the validity of some of the loans it bought, renegotiated a lower price and protections from the seller involved in the deal.

Commercial real estate loans are vulnerable as financial assistance for tenants winds down and might not be fully renewed. Late rent payments could rise, leading lenders to press landlords to pay up.

The company also found a buyer for its portfolio of equipment finance loans as it tries to clean up credit and refocus on middle-market lending.

Deal activity, already on pace for its slowest year in more than two decades, will likely remain suppressed until bankers get a handle on credit exposure and more clarity on valuations.

More consumer and commercial borrowers are paying their loans, increasing the likelihood that charge-offs will be manageable for banks despite the ongoing pandemic.

The bank said the move will provide more flexibility raising capital and more options when it comes to pursuing bank acquisitions.

Driver Management, a bank investor, alleges that First United in Maryland made false claims and improperly lobbied lawmakers to keep its nominees off the board. The bank asserts that it acted properly in response to an attempted hostile takeover.

Bartow Morgan Jr., who ran Brand Banking when it was sold to Renasant, also plans to raise $150 million to expand the seller's products and services.

Several community banks that put buybacks on hold during the pandemic’s earliest days have recently authorized new plans, signaling an easing in regulatory pressure and greater comfort with capital levels.

Piedmont Federal Savings is working with historically Black colleges and universities to hire and train prospective commercial lenders and managers who better reflect the community it serves.