Words like "oppressive" and "harsh" have been replace recently by terms like "fair" and "cooperative" in bankers' descriptions of how examiners are treating them. Thanks to go mostly to the improved condition of many institutions.

Georgetown Bancorp in Massachusetts has snagged two JPMorgan Chase (JPM) bankers for its mortgage origination team.

TriCo Bancshares (TCBK) of Chico, Calif., has named a former Countrywide Bank executive as its chief risk officer.

Continental Bank Holdings of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., has raised $16.5 million through a private placement.

In a rare do-over, members of Montana First CU are being asked again to approve the merger of the state's oldest credit union into Washington's Horizon CU in nearby Spokane Valley, a combination rejected by the membership in January.

The California company has a growing international operation due to its focus on venture capital and technology companies.

Regulators shuttered four banks Friday evening — totaling $676 million of assets — that combined are estimated to cost the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. about $80 million.

In interviews with two dozen bankers, regulators and outside experts, most point to a significant improvement between how bankers and examiners interact.

Activist investor Joseph Stilwell has stepped up his campaign to oust the chief executive at First Financial Northwest (FFNW) in Renton, Wash.

ServisFirst Bancshares of Birmingham, Ala., is expanding its correspondent banking business into Tennessee and Georgia with the addition of two new executives.

A number of state officials are trying to move deposits to community banks, though it is unclear if smaller institutions have the capacity or regulatory blessing needed to hold the funds.

No, the merger wave isn't here, but it has to start somewhere. Data through May 31 shows a foundation to build on once uncertainties about U.S. elections and European economy ease.

A second director at the troubled Atlantic Coast Financial (ACFC) has resigned due to concerns about how the Jacksonville, Fla., company is run.

Ameris, BancFirst and BankUnited all allowed investors to decide how often they wanted to vote on executive compensation. The results from those annual meetings might encourage other banking companies to do the same next year.

The Mississippi bank quietly cut a deal in Arkansas that could undercut class action claims in Florida and save it millions. An appeals court is reviewing the controversial legal strategy.

Michael Larrowe, a Cardinal executive who was once derided by an activist investor, becomes CEO and rejoins the board as a group of recently elected directors looks to move the Floyd, Va., company forward.

Ailing Capitol Bancorp is corralling some of its most dire bank units — Bank of Las Vegas, Indiana Community Bank, Sunrise Bank of Albuquerque and Sunrise Bank of Arizona — as part of its ongoing effort to raise fresh capital.

Patriot Financial Partners, a Philadelphia PE firm, hires the former CEO of a community bank in Pennsylvania.

West Virginia Rep. Shelley Moore Capito has asked the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to provide Congress with a detailed analysis on the performance of the Transaction Account Guarantee program in order help lawmakers decide to whether or not to extend the four-year-old program when it expires Dec. 31.

Edward Grebow is making use of the $100 million in private equity that the New York bank received last year, tackling bad loans and expanding into prepaid cards and residential mortgages.