Paul Davis

Some regional banks reported strong loan growth in the third quarter and are upbeat about the fourth. Others had a weak summer and expect this quarter to be the same. All claim their lending practices are sound and that rivals are taking risks. It doesn't add up.

BB&T reported lower quarterly earnings, as a large tax adjustment overshadowed the Winston-Salem, N.C., company's struggles to boost net interest income.

Valley Financial (VYFC) in Roanoke, Va., has exited the Troubled Asset Relief Program after issuing $11 million in subordinated debt to an unnamed accredited investor.

Malvern Bancorp (MLVF) in Paoli, Pa., expects to report another quarterly loss after selling a block of problem loans and repaying Federal Home Loan Bank advances.

Capitol Bancorp said late Monday that it will sell its four remaining banks to Talmer Bancorp in Troy, Mich.

Bank mergers, failures and charter consolidations are cutting into the exam fees that provide the financial lifeblood for regulators in Idaho, Montana and other states. Their attempts to balance the budget can cause small banks to pay higher fees.

Julie Stackhouse at the St. Louis Fed admits that some regulators who once questioned the role of smaller institutions are now committed to hearing their concerns and making improvements.

Huntington Bancshares (HBAN) in Columbus, Ohio, has agreed to buy Camco Financial (CAFI) in Cambridge, Ohio.

Enterprise Financial and Reliance Bancshares in St. Louis, under pressure to grow like most community banks, believe they have figured out how to expand into faraway markets yet avoid the mistakes that cost many banks during the financial crisis.

Community bankers should opt out of the requirement to deduct unrealized gains and losses from AOCI; be aware of the challenges and opportunities that Basel III creates for M&A and capital raising; and stay on guard for changes to risk weighting of mortgages, experts say.

Receiving Wide Coverage ...All Shutdown All the Time: The ongoing government shutdown dominated news coverage this weekend. The Wall Street Journal highlighted how government officials and economists are facing forecasting quandaries as the budget impasse delays the release of key data, including the Labor Department's monthly jobs report. A separate article notes that Fed officials are monitoring the shutdown to see if the prolonged stalemate creates any drag on the private sector. Speaking of the Fed, the Financial Times assessed how a prolonged shutdown, and a lockdown of critical data, could influence the Fed's decision to taper its quantitative easing. The New York Times focused on the months leading up to the shutdown and how issues in Washington have provided a lift to the derivatives market, observing that insurance for credit-default swaps have started to rise.

Researchers at a Federal Reserve conference in St. Louis provided data backing small bankers' concerns about regulation and competition, though it is unclear if the findings will led to meaningful change.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke bit on James Bullard's joke about the superiority of St. Louis' baseball team over Washington's, but he avoided the bait to discuss the federal shutdown.

Dorothy Savarese knows as well as any community banker the frustrations from mounting regulation. Empirical studies can illuminate compliance burdens — and their broader consequences — for policymakers, the Massachusetts thrift executive says.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke said Wednesday that U.S. regulators don't want to harm community bankers still ailing from the financial crisis.

With nearly 140 banks and a forecast for sluggish growth in the next decade, the city should be primed for consolidation. One big problem: few bankers seem interested in selling.

August's reading provides more proof that the slowdown in mortgage activity is curbing overall growth in the banking industry.

Sevier County Bank in Tennessee decided its loyal customers are its best promotion and created an interactive blog about their experiences with the bank, including the story of one woman who goes 20 miles out of her way to keep banking there.

Westby Co-Op Credit Union in Wisconsin has agreed to buy the deposits and loans of a Walmart branch from Citizens Community Bancorp (CZWI) in Eau Claire, Wis.

Southwest Bancorp in Stillwater, Okla., has redeemed a series of trust-preferred securities.