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.

Norwood Financial (NWFL) in Honesdale, Pa., has added to the management team of its bank.

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.

While American Banker is celebrating the Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance tonight in New York City, the National Geographic Society will be opening a major, three-year traveling exhibition focused on female photojournalists in Washington, D.C.

Regulation-by-numbers under Dodd-Frank is taking the art out of community banking and narrowing the borrowing window for lenders and needy borrowers alike. That was one of the key take-aways from the Federal Reserve's first ever conference on community bank research.

Prudential Bancorp (PBIP) in Philadelphia has completed its second-step conversion and $71.4 million public offering.

Republic Bancorp's deal to buy the bank operations of H&R Block collapsed because of regulators' apparent concerns about the mixing of banking and tax-refund processing. The deal would have helped restore a business already bruised by conflicts with regulators.

Risk managers are hopeful that the demand for new loans will rise, but a new study shows that they are increasingly worried that existing loans may go sour.

Banks had to devote more money to compliance in the third quarter after regulators increased the rate of new enforcement actions.

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.

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators on Wednesday urged banks and other financial institutions to consider loan modification plans for borrowers affected by the government shutdown, which is now in its second week.

TGR Financial in Naples, Fla., has agreed to buy Shamrock Bank of Florida.

Century Bancorp (CNBKA) in Medford, Mass., said Thursday that its third-quarter profit fell slightly due to a decline in loan balances.

Plaza Bank in Irvine, Calif., has hired Michael Vantrease as an executive vice president and its chief administrative officer.

Hopefully, examiners will respect good-faith efforts by banks and third-party processors to verify that a merchant’s business is legal – rather than expect financial institutions to guarantee how courts will decide.

H&R Block Inc.'s plan to sell its bank and exit Federal Reserve oversight stalled as Republic Bancorp Inc. said it rescinded a plan to buy the unit.

Think twice about buying a far-away bank. Consider getting into equipment leasing. Trust your instincts in credit decisions. Those are among the insights from a slew of research papers on community banks presented at a Federal Reserve conference last week.

Jacksonville Bancorp (JAXB) in Florida is planning a reverse stock split that would allow its shares to keep trading on the Nasdaq exchange.

First National Bank of New York is selling to Bridge Bancorp 18 months after its recapitalization because additional capital was elusive. For Bridge, the deal expands its reach closer to New York City. Similar scenarios will happen elsewhere.