A written agreement between Kentucky First Federal Bancorp and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency was terminated in 20 months, less than half the time that management feared it might take.

The New York City-based lender, whose roots lie in taxi lending, believes an expanded home-improvement loan operation will generate mid-teen loan growth this year.

Beneficial State Bank in Oakland has reached a three-year agreement with the Communications Workers of America. The deal follows a groundbreaking union pact the bank signed in 2021.

First National Corp. in Virginia announced the sale of its two North Carolina branches. Meanwhile, a number of larger competitors are laying plans for growth in the Carolinas.

Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Katie Britt, R-Ala., offered a new bill that would index the Durbin Amendment's debit fee threshold to inflation. The bill joins a number of community bank-centered bills offered or moving through Congress

Bank-favored provisions that were included into the House's version of a bipartisan housing bill threaten to derail Senate passage, but Senate Banking Committee moderates seem skeptical of the combination.

Delinquencies on credit-card debt mostly held steady at the end of last year, but certain groups of consumers are faring better than others.

A housing bill that already passed the Senate cleared the House Monday evening, but included bipartisan community banking provisions that have already raised objections in the upper chamber.

Kohler Credit Union, Think Bank and Communication Federal Credit Union gave their onboarding and direct deposit tech an upgrade through fintech partnerships.

Unlike some of its expansion-minded regional bank peers, Montana-based First Interstate is reconfiguring its business model to be smaller and more focused on relationship banking. The blueprint is the work of CEO Jim Reuter, who joined the bank 15 months ago.

American Banker's 2026 Predictions report finds that nonbank entities and check fraud are major threats to local banks in the coming months.

The Spanish banking giant, which has been trying to grow its U.S. business, plans to acquire the Connecticut-based parent company of Webster Bank.

Acquiring the $5.8 billion Northfield Bancorp would give Columbia a presence in both Brooklyn and Staten Island. The deal provides a window into the impact of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's plan to freeze rents on the city's multifamily real estate market.

In keeping with its policy of outsourcing functions outside its core commercial and retail banking competency, Signature Bank near Chicago teamed with a larger trust company to fill a longstanding gap in its product set.

The Arkansas-based company pivoted to organic growth a few years ago, after making 14 bank acquisitions in less than a decade.

While they may look like a tool for reinforcing customer's connection to their banks, loyalty coalitions present serious risks if they are not constructed properly and monitored continuously.

The House Financial Services Committee passed a community bank tailoring bill 33-21.

Though fourth-quarter net charge-offs reached a level not seen since the financial crisis, the Little Rock, Arkansas-based regional bank is forecasting better results in 2026 and an even stronger recovery in 2027.

In the 11 months after Fifth Third completes its acquisition of Comerica, the Cincinnati bank plans to send 13 million-to-14 million pieces of paper mail to retail customers. CEO Tim Spence says the old-fashioned method "still works," and actually has some advantages over more modern modes of communication.

Data collected by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors demonstrates a huge disparity in compliance costs between large and small banks. Policymakers in Washington who claim to support community banks must act to reduce regulatory burden.