Iberiabank Corp. of Lafayette, La., said Tuesday that it has agreed to buy Omni Bancshares in Metairie, La., for $40 million in stock.

A lending cooperative that plans to help small banks compete for larger, high-quality loans has received a significant investment — and validation — from the global asset manager BlackRock Inc.

The somewhat inexplicable delay adds to the overall negative perception the SBA has often had, while compounding the belief that small-business help from the government is just lip service.

Pinpointing the geographic epicenter of the crisis is not a simple task. Viewed one way, California and Florida top the list. Viewed another, Puerto Rico and Nevada rank highest.

Four bank failures book-ended the country on Friday. The four banks had a total of $1.05 billion in assets and are expected to cost the Deposit Insurance Fund $267.6 million collectively. So far, 22 institutions have failed so far this year.

New York state regulators have taken action against several Buffalo, N.Y.-area collection agency owners who were charged recently with preying on consumers - including military personnel.

Central Pacific Financial Corp. in Honolulu has received approval from regulators to complete a much-needed $325 million capital injection.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – First Florida CU has acquired an empty branch of a failed bank from the FDIC for $995,000.

Four bank failures book-ended the country on Friday. The four banks had a total of $1.05 billion in assets and are expected to cost the Deposit Insurance Fund $267.6 million collectively. So far, 22 institutions have failed so far this year.

Alma Bank in Astoria, N.Y., said Friday that George Katsiaunis will become its president. Katsiaunis is to succeed Luis Rebatta, who has been president of the $497.2 million-asset bank since it opened in 2007.

Bethpage Federal Credit Union has started an interactive marketing campaign that tells people, "It's time to give your bank a pink slip."

HarVest Bancorp Inc. has reportedly been without a chief executive for several weeks as it finalizes a recapitalization plan that intended on the previous CEO staying.

Bank of New York, representing holders of trust-preferred debt, has put up a vigorous fight against Builders Financial's reorganization plan, accusing the bankrupt company's owner of using straw creditors to deceive the court.

The majority of U.S. financial institutions expect their consumer lending businesses to grow or remain steady in 2011.

The Fed and OCC are asking a federal judge to dismiss TCF Financial's lawsuit, which seeks to block implementation of the Durbin amendment.

The ICBA's Camden Fine says because Dodd-Frank shifts control over routing debit card transactions from issuers to merchants, allowing them to bypass small financial institutions, it negates any benefit for exempt community banks.

Emclaire Financial Corp. in Emlenton, Pa., raised its quarterly dividend by 14%. The $481.9 million-asset company declared a dividend of 16 cents a share, compared with 14 cents a quarter earlier.

Citizens First Corp. in Bowling Green, Ky., said Thursday that it has agreed to repay part of its outstanding debt under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

The Federal Reserve Board said it has reached a written agreement with Westside Banking Co. of University Place, Wash.

Regulators on Wednesday cleared Motion Picture Federal Credit Union to merge into the $80 million-asset Musicians Interguild Credit Union in Hollywood, Calif.