Paul Davis

Wintrust Financial (WTFC) announced another small acquisition to expand its operations in Illinois, saying it would buy First Lansing Bancorp, which has seven branches, $370 million in assets and $325 million in deposits.

Tighter margins. Anxious commercial customers. Fresh memories of bad risks taken. These are a few of the limitations acting on Fifth Third, BB&T, PNC and other regional banks as they try to improve on progress made last year.

Smith, who retired this month after seven years as CEO of Fulton Financial in Pennsylvania, gives the cold, hard truth about leadership and puts it in historical terms.

BB&T in Winston-Salem, N.C., posted an increase in quarterly earnings on higher mortgage fees and loan growth.

The unexpected departure of the CEO of the nation's biggest Korean-American bank moves comes just days after rival Hanmi Financial announced plans to sell itself.

Go Banking Rates named Sofia Vergara, the star of the ABC comedy "Modern Family," its "Best Celebrity Saver," giving her a consolation prize of sorts after she fell short at the Golden Globes.

Analysts will also pay close attention to what bankers says about cost cutting and fallout from the fiscal cliff compromise.

Hanmi Financial (HAFC) has hired an investment bank to help it explore options that could include the sale of the Korean-American bank.

November marked the first time in months that bankers reported increased momentum for staffing, despite the fact that some Northeastern banks were dealing with Hurricane Sandy's aftermath.

The Greenville, S.C., bank will acquire Resource Financial Services, which has eight offices in five states. CertusBank did not disclose the price it will pay for the four-year-old company.

A large shareholder recently sold most of her holdings in First Citizens, giving her uncle's family a majority stake in the family owned company.

Every banker is under scrutiny, but last year we pegged 10 executives as potential news makers for 2012. Most of those bankers delivered big headlines in the past year.

First Citizens BancShares has lost a piece of its history with the resignation of a long-time director.

CEO Victor Karpiak will resign as chairman, and Stilwell Group will add a representative to the Washington company's board.

Six months after settling a legal battle with Capital One, John Kanas is eager to start hiring employees and opening branches in the Big Apple.

Business activity in the banking sector accelerated slightly in October, rising for the fifth straight month, according to industry executives surveyed for American Banker's latest Index of Banking Activity.

Volatility among investment banks presents some great hiring opportunities for their rivals, says Daryle DiLascia, who recently joined Sterne, Agee & Leach from KBW to work on bank M&A.

Margin pressure, regulatory hurdles and intense competition will test the nation's smallest banks next year, industry experts predict. Those issues could lead to a resurgence of consolidation among community banks.

Matt Wagner, the persistent CEO of PacWest in L.A., reaches a deal to buy First California six months after reporting that the Westlake Village, Calif., company spurned his initial overture.

Business activity in the banking sector improved significantly in September, rising for the fourth consecutive month, according to industry executives surveyed for American Banker's latest Index of Banking Activity.