Mortgage banking is like the little girl in the nursery rhyme: "When she was good, she was very, very good, and when she was bad, she was horrid."

Golden Pacific Bancorp in Sacramento, Calif., has hired Virginia A. Varela, a longtime banker and regulator, as chief executive.

Banks should brace for smaller mergers as technology vendors look to provide more one-stop shopping.

Washington Federal (WAFD) in Seattle posted higher quarterly earnings despite costs tied to a recent acquisition.

Commerce Bancshares (CBSH) in Kansas City, Mo., reported lower quarterly earnings because of lower income from lending.

TriSummit Bank in Kingsport, Tenn., has agreed to buy Community National Bank of the Lakeway Area (CNLA) in Morristown, Tenn.

The Lafayette, La., bank ended its M&A break Monday by announcing an agreement to buy a nearby rival, Teche Holding. It says more deals are likely, adding to the rise of buyers based in the South.

Waterstone Financial (WSBF) in Wauwatosa, Wis., raised roughly $250 million from the subscription and community offering tied to its second-step conversion.

Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., introduced legislation Monday to address concerns about how collateralized debt obligations backed by trust-preferred securities are treated under the Volcker Rule.

Banks could save money -- and avoid having to sell to, or buy other, banks -- by sharing the costs of compliance checks, account databases and even branch space, a new report from the accounting firm EY suggests.

FNBH Bancorp (FNHM) in Howell, Mich., has raised $16.4 million through a private placement.

Three Missouri businessmen accused of defrauding Excel Bank, which later failed, were arraigned in federal court in St. Louis on Friday.

New York Community Bancorp CEO Joseph Ficalora continues to look for a transformative acquisition to cross $50 billion in assets -- even if it invites extra regulatory scrutiny.

Coastway Bancorp in Cranston, R.I., expects to complete its conversion to a public holding company by the close of business on Tuesday.

Hawaii National Bank in Honolulu has a new chief financial officer.

Patriot National Bancorp (PNBK) in Stamford, Conn., is in the market for a new president and chief executive.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is expected to draft rules governing payday lending this year. But the conventional wisdom that will likely guide it is based on false perceptions about the working poor and the best way to serve them. So argues Lisa Servon, a professor at The New School.

Farmers & Merchants Bank (FMBL) in Long Beach, Calif., has hired a chief banking officer, filling a newly created post.

No matter how streamlined my finances have become, there is one regular nuisance: sending money to and from family or friends without the friction that requires recipients to provide hard-to-remember information like account numbers and routing numbers.

Iberiabank Corp. (IBKC) in Lafayette, La., has agreed to buy Teche Holding (TSH) in New Iberia, La.