Deals involving large community and midsize banks dominated M&A in 2013. The motives and market conditions involved differed dramatically, but all the dealmakers had -- and in some cases still have -- tough questions to answer from regulators, investors and activists.

A breakdown of M&A announcements in the financial services industry for the week ended Dec. 21.

Buoyed by its success on the West Coast, Operation Hope is partnering with the likes of SunTrust and Popular Community Bank to set up its financial literacy centers in such cities as Memphis, Atlanta, Washington and New York.

Further delays in the M&T/Hudson City deal were a reminder of how hard it is to manage banks in the limbo between the announcements and closings of M&A agreements. Tougher regulatory scrutiny means longer waits and greater risk of cancellation.

Bankers have almost become used to the intense growth of new rules in the five years since the financial crisis, but some see a light at the end of the tunnel as the agencies inch toward the end of Dodd-Frank rulemakings and the economy improves.

Most bankers are reluctant to shrink the size or number of their physical locations, but for the New Jersey lender ConnectOne, "the primary channel is no longer the branch on the corner." CEO Frank Sorrentino III discusses how ConnectOne has expanded its business in the competitive New York market by embracing technology instead of building many branches.

Bitcoin may get the most attention, but several merchants are beginning to accept a digital currency called Litecoin, the second largest digital currency by market capitalization.

Interest rates will rise sooner or later, and banks should be prepared to manage their risk exposures, according to a new report from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Banc of California suffered from growing pains -- and a big third-quarter loss -- due to rapid expansion. CEO Steven Sugarman must prove to investors in 2014 that his efforts are leading to a stronger company.

It should be obvious that no one in his or her right mind would design the bank regulatory system we have today. No third-world country's bureaucracy is so byzantine.

Target Corp., the second-largest U.S. discount chain, faces almost two dozen lawsuits filed by customers after a computer security breach exposed data on 40 million debit and credit cards.

Fidelity National Financial Inc. agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that its proposed $2.9 billion acquisition of Lender Processing Services Inc. (LPS) would substantially lessen competition by combining the firms’ title plant assets in several local markets in Oregon.

Consumer statute lawsuits in November were consistent with the trend seen throughout 2013. Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act litigation both declined while Telephone Consumer Protection Act lawsuits expanded.

The Federal Trade Commission cleared Fidelity National's $2.9 billion deal for Lender Processing Services on condition that Fidelity sell a copy of databases serving six Oregon counties to preserve competition.

Huntington Bancshares (HBAN) in Columbus, Ohio, plans to close nine branches after its acquisition of Camco Financial (CAFI) in Cambridge, Ohio.

Anchor Bancorp Wisconsin in Madison plans to return to the Nasdaq through an offering of common stock after it restructured debt by filing for bankruptcy.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country's central bank, has decided not to interfere with transactions made in the digital currency.

A man dressed in Kris Kringle's trademark snowy beard and red stocking cap robbed a SunTrust Banks (STI) branch in Port Orange, Fla., on Monday, according to multiple news reports.

For the second time in a little over a year, regulators have punished the credit card giant for allegedly using deceptive marketing and unfair billing practices in selling add-on products.

In a wide-ranging interview, Carver Bancorp CEO Deborah Wright says she expects 2014 to see the New York bank target more underbanked customers, expand lending to nonprofits and serve as a beacon of hope to other minority-owned banks.