In a time most financial institutions are hesitant to open so much as one new branch, $130-million Community First Credit Union has found success opening three "smart offices" in the heart of California's wine country.

Most credit unions hang their hat on delivering great service to their members. But Partners FCU has the daunting task of pleasing The Walt Disney Co., known worldwide for going the extra mile to knock the socks off its customers.

Advances in touch-screen technology, video analytics and biometrics are all being put to use to craft the next generation of branch banking.

In spite of long term investments in alternative service delivery channels, the cost of serving members is not declining, and the traditional bricks-and-mortar branch will remain a key channel well into the near future.

Education First CU has launched what it believes to be the nation's smallest full-service credit union branch.

Mention the word “collections,” and the stereotype that comes to mind for many customers is the unpleasant phone call that arrives during dinner or as they’re settling in to relax and watch TV for the evening.

WAUSAU, Wis. — NCUA this evening liquidated Wausau Postal Employees CU and assigned the remnants of the one-time $10 million credit union to nearby giant CoVantage CU.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency closed Alabama Trust Bank in Sylacauga on Friday, making it Alabama’s first bank failure in more than a year.

Bank stocks are up 13% this year, despite the recent swoon tied to JPMorgan Chase's trading snafu. That appreciation is pushing dividend yields down, leading some to wonder if banks will eventually raise quarterly payouts or hold onto the capital.

National Bank Holdings in Boston is shifting its headquarters to Denver following a string of bank acquisitions in Colorado and nearby states.

Put aside the bellyaching about the disappointing deals market. Focus instead on creative deals, nontraditional acquisitions and the nuances of what can be done within current regulations and economic realities, experts will advise at American Banker's M&A conference Monday and Tuesday.

A $2.3 billion loan temporarily pushed Emigrant's total assets over $15 billion. Because it was briefly above that threshold, the bank will be subject to a provision of the Dodd-Frank Act that prevents banks from counting trust preferred securities as part of their Tier 1 capital. Emigrant is asking Congress for an exemption.

Now that a proposal to give credit unions more business lending power has been tabled, banks and credit unions have resumed their long-running battle over taxes.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. As excerpted from the Comments sections of AmericanBanker.com articles.

NCUA said this morning it has barred the former CEOs of U.S. Central FCU and Members United Corporate FCU from working for or with any corporate credit union for their roles in two of the biggest credit union failures.

BankTennessee in Collierville has been released from a two-year-old enforcement order after it improved its capital ratios and sharply reduced its concentration of commercial real estate and construction loans.

More than two-dozen have already announced that would stop filing reports with the regulator and many more could follow as they aim to cut costs.

The new director, James McDonough, once served as the CEO for Abington Bancorp, a Boston-area company that was sold in 2004.

Personal financial management software must deliver real value to banks, not just consumers. Just saying PFM increases customer loyalty doesn't cut it. The value proposition has to be more attractive given the revenue pressures banks face today.

Editor's Note, July 25, 2012: This and other BankThink opinion columns written by Joel Sucher bearing this note, published between October 2011 and June 2012, mentioned the law firm of Stephen J. Baum, Litton Loan Servicing, or both. The columns should have disclosed that Baum’s firm, working on behalf of Litton, had attempted to foreclose on the writer’s property in 2009. American Banker's editors were unaware of this history at the time the columns were published.