American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of AmericanBanker.com articles and our social media platforms.

The $22 billion-asset Winstrust said in a press release Thursday that it will pay $30 million in cash for the parent of the $125 million-asset Foundations Bank.

First Business Financial Services in Madison, Wis., said it has hired Edward Sloane Jr. to be its next chief financial officer.

Firstrust Bank has signed a marketing deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, even though the NBA team plays in an arena emblazoned with the name of another bank — and will until 2024.

Bank chiefs should brace for a barrage of questions about economic uncertainty, if JPMorgan Chase's experience after releasing fourth-quarter results is any indication. Double-digit increases in loans and profits were not enough to stave off questions about the odds of recession, energy risks and adequacy of reserves.

Metropolitan Commercial Bank in New York has named Dale Fredston, a former general counsel at Sterling Bancorp in Montebello, N.Y., to its board of directors.

The reverse mortgage industry is optimistic after recent reforms to the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage by the FHA and newfound respect from financial planners.

Approximately half of more than 40 enforcement issues made public by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have alleged violations of the Unfair, Deceptive and Abusive Acts or Practices provision of the Dodd-Frank Act.

Diebold has launched a mobile-enabled, self-checkout concept based on its automated teller machine systems.

The inventory of homes in foreclosure fell in November to the lowest level since November 2007, according to a report from CoreLogic, a global property information company.

Peter Humphrey, who stepped down as Financial Institutions’ CEO in 2012, said he supports a push by activist investor Clover Partners to force the company to find a buyer. Humphrey left the company’s board in 2014.

Four Oaks Fincorp in Four Oaks, N.C., has refinanced $11.5 million in subordinated debt.

The former assistant director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has taken a job as a senior official with the Department of Education.

The physical branch network is not dead, but to ensure its viability banks need to get serious about trimming it down and combining branches with digital channels.

JPMorgan Chase & Co., the biggest U.S. bank, said fourth-quarter profit rose 10 percent as expenses from litigation and employee compensation shrank.

Bitcoin’s history is a fascinating story unparalleled in the worlds of tech and finance for its colorful characters, mystery and intrigue.

Nine former officers and directors accused of hiding problems at Superior Bank in Birmingham, Ala., will pay more than $1 million in penalties as part of settlements with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has rejected a nonprofit housing group's allegations of racial discrimination against U.S. Bank. HUD found that the bank properly maintain foreclosed homes in predominantly black and Hispanic neighborhoods and in some cases spent more rehabilitating the homes than in white areas.

BankUnited of Miami Lakes, Fla., has exited the retail mortgage origination channel. It originated loans through its retail banking branches in Florida and New York.

American National Bankshares in Danville, Va., has named Cathy Liles its chief accounting officer.