While most lending sectors are still struggling to recover from the financial crisis, regulators are turning a nervous eye to one area that is thriving: agricultural lending.

While the GSEs have become struggling entities in conservatorship with a doubtful future, the structure of the secondary mortgage market remains significant, especially for community banks.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – PSCU Financial Services said yesterday it has joined NCR and First Data Corp. to offer ATM hardware purchase, leasing options and maintenance services to its 1,500 credit unions.

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Chippewa Eagle Federal Credit Union, serving members and employees of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe, opened Monday.

Despite rising credit costs, Roma Financial Corp.'s fourth-quarter earnings, $100,000 a year earlier, rose to $1.2 million.

Once an aspiring acquirer, Florida Bank Group Inc. in Tampa is now under a Federal Reserve enforcement action.

As loan demand continues to weaken for community banks, third parties are stepping forward, pitching services aimed at connecting banks with prospective borrowers.

Acting Comptroller of the Currency John Walsh warned Tuesday that a Federal Reserve Board proposal to limit debit interchange fees could hurt banks of all sizes.

For the 11th consecutive year, identity theft topped the Federal Trade Commission's annual list of consumer complaints. Debt collection ranked second in 2010.

Iberiabank Corp. in Lafayette, La., is consolidating various outsourced debit card processing functions with products from Fiserv Inc.

Community Bancorp LLC of Houston has completed its acquisition of Cadence Financial Corp. of Starkville, Miss., with a $144 million investment, the companies announced Monday.

Capitol Bancorp Ltd. is selling its 51% stake in Bank of Las Colinas, which would mark its exit from Texas.

California United Bank in Encino reported a net loss of $2.3 million for 2010, compared with net income of $745,000 in 2009.

Virginia Commerce Bancorp Inc. said Monday it has appointed an interim successor for its chief financial officer, who died last month following complications from cancer.

Because of much higher share insurance costs for credit unions than for community banks, credit unions will likely find it more difficult to remain competitive.

While states like Washington and Oregon have had their share of failures, there have been several deals to save larger struggling banks there, too. Add Cascade Financial Corp. in Everett, Wash., to that pile.

The steering tactics many bankers have suggested retailers will try under the Durbin interchange rule are unlikely to work — if merchants try them at all, payments experts said.

RALEIGH, N.C. – State Employees’ CU is planning to open three new branches in Greensboro later this year or in early 2012 as part of a plan to expand its footprint in the region.

Cornerstone Bancshares Inc. in Chattanooga, Tenn., said Friday that losses narrowed 42.1% in 2010. The $440 million-asset company posted a $4.7 million loss for the year, compared with an $8.2 million loss in 2009.