That is the message from North Carolina's banking commissioner and others who think the odds of preventing the rule are so low, and the amount of preparation needed to comply so great, that bankers should get real.

Not only are widening credit spreads for both banks and the companies they lend to a red flag, but the financial sector is also feeling a hit from lower energy prices.

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump received support from 83% of attendees polled at the Independent Community Bankers of America's annual convention. The results were more pronounced compared with a similar poll by the Consumer Bankers Association, where Hillary Clinton edged out Trump.

Citizens Financial Group will build a new office complex in Johnston, R.I., and consolidate about 3,200 workers at the location.

Having served as a holdover since her term expired last spring, Debbie Matz announced she will be departing the agency at the end of next month.

Peoples Bancorp in Marietta, Ohio, has obtained a $15 million credit line and has paid off an earlier loan.

Regulators want to know how banks are planning for the future, particularly in the face of competitive threats such as marketplace lending and added scrutiny over the use of third-party vendors.

Investors have punished most energy lenders since oil prices began sliding more than a year ago. Despite a recent rally, stocks of publicly traded banks with at least 3.5% of loans tied to the energy sector have fallen by 18% since early 2015. The KBW Nasdaq bank index is down 13% over that time. Here is a look at the worst-performing energy lenders in the past year and one exception to the rule.

Penns Woods Bancorp in Williamsport, Pa., has promoted Michelle Karas to chief operating officer.

Mountain Commerce Bancorp in Knoxville, Tenn., has added a former California community bank executive to its board.

Northwest Savings Bank's plan to shutter its branch in Pleasantville, Pa., has run into stiff opposition from the town's mayor.

Green Bancorp Chief Executive Geoff Greenwade, eager to tamp down speculation of a potential sale, stressed during a conference presentation that the Houston company plans to remain independent.

Changes to mortgage disclosures rules implemented in October continue to frustrate community bankers and is just another example of the struggle to stay independent.

The pace of bank mergers and acquisitions has slowed of late as bank stock values have plummeted, but expect it to pick up as 2016 wears on. Here's why.

Southwest Bancorp in Stillwater, Okla., and LegacyTexas Financial Group in Plano have disclosed exposure to a commercial borrower that faces criminal and civil investigations.

BBCN Bancorp withstood numerous overtures from Hanmi Financial — and a revolt by four of its own directors — as it negotiated a deal to buy Wilshire Bancorp. A new filing discloses just how intense those pressures were.

Hailed as a space- and cost-saver, interactive video teller machines don't always succeed as a strategy. Many banks offer them without a clear business case to justify the investment.

Alamogordo Financial in Alamogordo, N.M., plans to convert from a mutual to a fully stock-owned bank holding company.

Smaller players are losing ground to deep-pocketed large banks that can both absorb compliance costs and invest in the most up-to-date technology, M&T's longtime CEO said in his annual letter to shareholders. He also worried about banks' shrinking role in the ever-changing lending landscape.

HarborOne Bank, a mutually owned co-operative bank in Brockton, Mass., plans to sell shares to the public.