Unable to seal their deal, C1 Bank and U.S. Century have instead struck a new agreement that would still give C1 a foothold in the Miami area.

"Deposit fee" is one of the more popular terms being used in new naming conventions, while some banks are scrapping their fees altogether.

BankUnited is expanding its footprint in the Sunshine State.

A House panel ended a probe of alleged preferential lending by Countrywide Financial to lawmakers and aides without taking action, saying the "serious matters" submitted for review fall outside its jurisdiction.

United Community Bancorp in Lawrenceburg, Ind., is extending its community offering after receiving insufficient orders for stock to complete its second-step conversion.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has terminated an enforcement action against HomeStreet Bank in Seattle.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has named Gateway Bank CEO Jeffrey Cheung to a minority advisory committee, and he spilled the beans a little early

Successful banks are, among other things, focusing on education and employee training courses, establishing a formal enterprise risk management department and tying compensation to clearly defined best practices.

California, by holding out for a $12 billion side deal with Chase, Wells and B of A, secured a far larger share of the settlement than fairness would seem to dictate.

The FTC released a report that said small banks continue to pull in significant revenue from interchange fees on debit cards despite fears that the Durbin amendment would hurt them as much as larger institutions.

Other banks have let employees make 'Gangnam Style' videos to blow off steam, but SVB Financial staffers went global with their involved production.

These financial services executives won't be sorry to see this year end and are hoping for better results in 2013.

The board of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati has reelected Carl F. Wick, a former NCR executive, as its chairman. B. Proctor Caudill Jr. was also reelected as vice chairman, the bank said.

Sales of U.S.-backed mortgage bonds soared to a three-year high as steps by the Federal Reserve and Obama administration to make home ownership more affordable propelled a 34 percent jump in refinancing.

Capital, cost-cuts and creativity. Those are three things banks, especially small ones, will need to ride out a period of low margins and stiff regulation until economic conditions improve, says BankUnited CEO John Kanas.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has sanctioned five firms for charging additional fees on municipal and state bond offerings to pay a lobbying organization.

Red River Bancshares in Alexandria, La., plans to expand into the Baton Rouge area with a deal to buy Fidelity Bancorp.

Developing and implementing programs that accurately detect consumer vulnerabilities in the marketplace is important to better manage risk at financial institutions and for public policy purposes.

In the most challenging banking environment in memory, BankUnited's John Kanas expects the winners to be those companies most adept at amassing capital, cutting costs and figuring out the innovation puzzle.