John Reosti

The Financial Accounting Standards Board is giving a handful of community banks a chance to explain why a plan to change the accounting for loan losses will result in major hardship — and credit unions may want to follow suit, according to one CU advocate.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board is giving a handful of community banks a chance to explain why a plan to change the accounting for loan losses will result in major hardship. The proposal would force banks to record a loan-loss provision once a loan is originated, rather than when a loss becomes probable.

The number of locally owned banks in Westchester County has shrunk from 25 institutions in the 1970s to just four today. PCSB, which moved its headquarters to the county after buying a local bank, hopes to settle in quickly.

Thomas O'Brien made good on a 2015 promise to turn a profit in every quarter. This year, his goal is to stay profitable to earn back a deferred-tax asset that should meaningfully increase the New Jersey company's valuation.

The banking group, already irate over a plan to drastically change the timing of loan-loss provisions, is blasting remarks by FASB Chairman Russell Golden linking community banks to the financial crisis. FASB, meanwhile, said the comments were meant to be a criticism of current credit loss models — not banks.

Directors at credit unions used to work for free, but that is starting to change — and it's rankling banking industry officials who say it's another example of the nonprofit cooperatives mimicking banks without shouldering the same tax burden.

Finally released from a long-standing regulatory order, FNBH in Michigan is looking forward to ramping its lending, expanding its capabilities in wealth management and moving forward on plans to revamp its core processing system.

The agency made good on a vow to make 2015 the "year of regulatory relief," causing headaches for the banking industry in areas such as field of membership and member business lending.

Despite getting off to what CUs likely consider a rocky start with the agency’s second attempt at RBC, industry observers say Matz came through on her promise of a ‘Year of Regulatory Relief.’

Why a small bank like First Mid-Illinois ignored the conventional wisdom — 'Commercial banks buy property/casualty firms.' 'Private-equity will outbid you.' 'Leave the innovation to the big guys.' — and bought a retail health-insurance agency.

Achieva Credit Union is believed to be the first institution of its kind to complete a whole-bank acquisition. The deal could provide a template for other credit unions keen on buying banks.

Achieva Credit Union is believed to be the first institution of its kind to complete a whole-bank acquisition. The deal could provide a template for other credit unions keen on buying banks.

Darien Rowayton Bank used funds from a 2010 recapitalization to start refinancing student loans in a move that, so far, has been lucrative for the institution.

The head of the Independent Community Bankers of America fires a legal warning at NCUA and says relations between the two industries has never been more strained.

The head of the Independent Community Bankers of America fires a legal warning at NCUA and says relations between the two industries has never been more strained.

It wasn't enough for the agency to propose sweeping changes to field of membership at Thursday's meeting, as regulators also tackled the budget, OTR and industry calls for a longer exam cycle at a meeting that was punctuated by the some of the sharpest exchanges yet between Chairman Debbie Matz and Board Member J. Mark McWatters.

The agency's board, however, delayed action on a contentious proposal to increase a key population threshold for determining fields of membership in metropolitan markets. Bankers remain on alert, however, because the agency has indicated an interest in revisiting the issue.

The NCUA Board has a lot on its plate as it prepares for its regular monthly meeting tomorrow. It's scheduled to approve a budget and set the fee schedule and overhead transfer rate that will fund NCUA's operations in 2016 and tackle field of membership rules, as well.

A joint venture formed by a regional credit union trade group and a loan servicer has a simple mission: to help small credit unions that lack expertise in SBA lending jump into the booming 7(a) market.

A joint venture formed by a regional credit union trade group and a loan servicer has a simple mission: to help small credit unions that lack expertise in SBA lending jump into the booming 7(a) market.