Maryland bankers should team up and stop selling out to big, out-of-state players, says Old Line Bancshares' James Cornelsen. The choices they face say a lot about the options available to bankers across the country.

Without naming names, CFO Tim Sloan threw cold water on the idea that the San Francisco bank would acquire the credit card giant.

Banks are getting more advanced at using transaction and demographic data to help entice consumers to reach for their cards over those of their rivals.

Astoria Financial has already originated more multi-family and commercial real estate loans this year than all of last year, and its CEO said total loans to that sector will top $1.5 billion.

JPMorgan would like to dock CEO Jamie Dimon's pay in the wake of a giant trading loss without actually making him suffer. If anyone can find a fix, its compensation committee can.

Republic Bancorp CEO Steve Trager sees a recent purchase of First Commercial Bank as an opportunity to grow in Minnesota, despite being 700 miles from Republic's Kentucky home.

The National Retail Federation said it will try to block a settlement of as much as $7.25 billion with Visa and MasterCard over the fees they charge shops when customers pay with credit cards.

Mid-America Bankshares of Baldwin City, Kan., will buy a branch from Garnett Bancshares. The deal extends a string of deals involving community banks in Kansas.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency said Tuesday that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are pursuing a new representation and warranties model for conventional loans to help minimize risk exposure for lenders.

The FDIC can invest in the equity of teetering but salvageable banks. This would save money for the taxpayers, preserve banks that are worth preserving – and send a clear message about the future of community banking.

BB&T signs a 10-year deal for naming rights to the former BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., home of the NHL's Florida Panthers. It is part of the spoils from the North Carolina bank's acquisition of BankAtlantic.

National Bank Holdings in Greenwood, Colo., plans to raise up to $180.9 million after completing an initial public offering.

Broadway Bank in San Antonio is continuing its growth northward with plans to open several branches around Austin, Texas.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. lost a bid to dismiss a lawsuit alleging it mishandled pension funds' investments in Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. while persuading a judge to narrow the claims in the case.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Warren FCU is renovating a former Bank of the West Branch in Fort Collins for its second Colorado location but first stand-alone branch.

NORWICH, Conn. – CorePlus FCU announced plans to open two new full-service branches inside area Wal-Mart Supercenter stores in 2013.

Old Line Bancshares has agreed to buy WSB Holdings in a deal that will combine two banks based in Bowie, Md.

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Executives at FirstMerit, PNC and KeyCorp — which have acquired branches in deals in recent years — are seeking to wring substantial cost savings from their brick-and-mortar networks and rely more on high-tech services.