Kristin Broughton

Reliance Bancshares is also talking to Tim Hortons about anchoring some of its branches, in hopes that coffee traffic will bring more business into its underutilized offices.

New York's Amalgamated Bank is hoping to do more business with political action committee and left-leaning customers as its retail business shrinks.

BlackRock has hired Andrew Marquardt as a managing director in its financial markets advisory group.

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors wants Congress to adopt a formal community bank definition, based on qualitative factors such as local governance structure and business models.

The California company has poached lenders from larger rivals, while expanding into specialty finance lines. Those moves have positioned Opus for a growth spurt that should outpace organic growth at most other community banks.

The Northeast has always been a competitive market for deposit gathering. Loan growth and the potential for rising interests are forcing banks in the region to find new ways to bring in low-cost liquidity.

The OTC Markets Group has opened up its community bank marketplace to privately held institutions, offering a chance for investors to monetize their holdings without selling the bank.

A recent research paper found that community banks' assets, along with market share in most types of commercial lending, have fallen since the Dodd-Frank Act was passed. The report is giving advocates of smaller institutions more data to rally around.

Elected officials in Santa Fe and Seattle are considering plans to form municipal banks to promote affordable housing and reach out to the underbanked. Bankers are wary since such institutions could present competition.

Bank of the Ozarks in Little Rock, Ark., and WesBanco in Wheeling, W.Va., each completed acquisitions this week.

U.S. Bancorp in Minneapolis has appointed Amy Hurd as head of its in-store and on-site banking division.

Orange County Business Bank in Irvine, Calif., is facing a proxy battle from a Dallas investment firm.

The New York Department of Financial Services has published revisions to the agency's proposed framework for regulating virtual currencies.

First Data is planning to launch a new suite of payment processing software in partnership with Capgemini, a financial consulting and outsourcing firm based in Paris.

JPMorgan Chase has launched a multiyear examination of its philanthropic division, providing $10 million to the Urban Institute to study the impact of its charitable initiatives.

Flushing Financial in Lake Success, N.Y., has expanded its business banking operations to Manhattan.

Hudson Valley Holding in Yonkers, N.Y., swung to a profit as it prepares to sell itself to Sterling Bancorp in Montebello, N.Y.

Two community banks on Tuesday disclosed plans to raise capital by selling subordinated debt.

TowneBank in Hampton Roads, Va., reported a lower quarterly profit due to higher costs tied to its recent acquisitions.

Banner Corp. in Walla Walla, Wash., has lowered its fourth-quarter profit due to an adjustment to the its provision for income taxes.