M&A momentum is building, even among larger banks that have been sidelined for years.

Merchants Bancshares in South Burlington, Vt., has named an interim principal financial officer after its chief financial officer resigned.

Live Oak Bancshares in Wilmington, N.C., one of the largest 7(a) program lenders in the U.S. last year, has promoted Greg Thompson to chief operating officer.

Associated Banc-Corp in Green Bay, Wis., will increase its fourth-quarter allowance for loan losses by $13 million to compensate for potential late payments or defaults on loans in its energy portfolio.

Patriot National Bancorp in Stamford, Conn., said that its chief financial officer resigned this week and that it has hired a former Connecticut community bank executive to replace her.

A compilation of our favorite stories of 2015, as selected by the people who assigned and edited them.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board is giving a handful of community banks a chance to explain why a plan to change the accounting for loan losses will result in major hardship. The proposal would force banks to record a loan-loss provision once a loan is originated, rather than when a loss becomes probable.

A three-year legal battle between FIS and Fiserv that was recently resolved highlights the importance of intellectual property rights in a banking industry that is increasingly growing reliant on technology.

The FTC and the State of Florida on Friday charged a payment processing business with credit card laundering and illegally assisting and facilitating a nationwide debt relief telemarketing scheme that allegedly bilked millions of dollars from consumers.

Macy’s has announced plans to consolidate four credit and customer service center facilities into three, resulting in 4,800 job cuts for the Cincinnati-based retail giant.

Hanspeter Wolf, CEO of onboarding software vendor Appway, on how he defines fintech and what he sees for its future.

Both consumers with health insurance and those lacking any coverage are reporting problems paying medical bills, according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and The New York Times.

But the strong demand for tax credits from those projects is also whittling down the investment returns as their riskiness declines, according to a new report by the New York-based accounting firm CohnReznick.

For all the attention nonbank fintech firms get, they still have a long way to go before winning over key customer segments, such as business banking customers.

A recent tax change will provide more stability to banks and developers that use the low-income housing tax credit program, and the supply of below-market-rate apartments should increase as a result. But it's not enough to create the economic incentives needed to meet skyrocketing demand for affordable housing in the U.S.

While it searches for a permanent deputy director, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has named David Silberman to serve as its acting No. 2 starting next week.

Ohio Valley Banc Corp. in Gallipolis, Ohio, has agreed to buy Milton Bancorp in Wellston, Ohio. The $808 million-asset Ohio Valley said it will pay about $20 million in cash and stock for the parent of Milton Banking Co.

A concept that predated bitcoin itself is becoming more than a thought exercise as blockchains explore ways to harness smart contracts for greater uses.

First Express of Nebraska in Gering and First Wyoming Bancorp. in Laramie have agreed to merge. The companies did not disclose the price of the deal, which is expected to close by mid-2016.

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.