Reliance Bancshares in St. Louis was headed toward potential failure when a semi-retired banker, Tom Brouster, stepped in as an investor. Executives broke down their challenges into manageable tasks, focused intently on cleaning up bad loans and are now ready to start lending and pursuing M&A, he says.

The $493 million-asset company bought back its remaining shares for $3.1 million, a 1% discount, it announced Monday.

Legacy Bank of Florida in Boca Raton raised $1.7 million in the third quarter, but remains short of the capital levels required by a regulatory consent order.

Bank of Hawaii Corp. (BOH) in Honolulu reported a dip in quarterly earnings as revenue from mortgage banking plunged 65%.

Shareholders of BankUnited (BKU) in Miami Lakes, Fla., are preparing to sell more than $330 million of the company's stock.

U.S. Bancorp (USB) in Minneapolis has named a new head of its asset management business for wealthy clients.

Payday comes every Friday.

Undergoing an annual physical exam gets employees a day off.

A loaner car is available for employees to use for free and with no mileage restrictions.

Employees in mortgage and commercial lending can earn bonuses worth up to half their base salaries based on performance triggers set by the department's senior vice president.

The bank offers discounts on health clubs and fitness classes.

For the bank's annual cook-offs, teams are chosen randomly to foster relationships across departments.

An "appointment time" benefit provides eight hours of paid time off for employees who need to schedule all kinds of daytime appointments, ranging from oil changes to parent-teacher conferences, during work hours.

Every year, the bank collects worn U.S. flags and honorably retires them during Veterans' Day ceremonies.

Sonic Lunch is a free outdoor concert series promoted by the bank in summer that brings people downtown to enjoy free music at a city park in Ann Arbor.

On most holidays, banks shut their doors and employees head home. Team Day, a holiday dreamed up by 1st National Bank, is different.

Forget radio ads, Umpqua promoted a new branch in San Francisco with surprise gifts and a novel Twitter campaign with a bricks-and-mortar twist.

Small banks often find themselves squeezed out of the derivatives market by larger players. To former BB&T executive Dolf Roell, that's a sign of opportunity.

The Museum of American Finance delves into rarely heard personal stories behind the century-old institution in a new exhibit.

A longtime Chicago CDFI executive looks ahead to influencing job creation through a new advisory post as Treasury.