MB Financial Inc. in Chicago on Friday posted a third-quarter loss of $5.4 million compared with earnings of $4.9 million a year earlier and blamed continued high credit costs.

Beneficial Mutual Bancorp Inc. in Philadelphia reported a $21.7 million third-quarter loss Friday, compared with net income of $5.8 million a year earlier, after a spike in its loan-loss provision.

Dozens of community banks are pushing hard to close acquisitions in the next few months because completing a deal could become much more costly in 2011.

Seven banks failed Friday, bringing the total number of failures this year to within one of the number of failures in all of 2009. So far 139 banks have failed in 2010. Friday's failures are expected to cost the deposit insurance fund a collective $478 million.

PHOENIX – Arizona State CU is giving $100 to everyone who opens a free checking account with direct deposit at the opening of its new branch in Tempe, which will qualify the new members for a 44,500 grand prize.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Fast-growing Fort Campbell FCU has an 8,500 square-foot branch here, its third new branch since the beginning of 2009, and 10th branch overall.

First Niagara Financial Group Inc. in Buffalo, N.Y., said Thursday that its third-quarter earnings quadrupled from a year earlier, to $45.6 million, aided by two Pennsylvania acquisitions.

After an infusion of $50 million of fresh capital, Patriot National Bancorp Inc. in Stamford, Conn., joins the ranks of struggling community bank companies that are moving from retrenchment to recovery.

Kearny Financial Corp. in Fairfield, N.J., has received approval from its regulator to acquire Central Jersey Bancorp in Oakhurst, the companies announced Thursday.

Valley National Bancorp in Wayne, N.J., said Thursday that its net income rose 27% year over year in the third quarter, to $32.6 million.

BATON ROUGE, La. – Pelican State CU is building a full service branch on the first floor of E. A. Conway Medical Center in nearby Monroe.

LAS VEGAS – Branches are evolving as consumers’ desires and expectations are changing, but despite reports to the contrary branches are still important to consumers.

Fulton Financial Corp. in Lancaster, Pa., posted a 72% year-over-year increase in net income in the third quarter, to $31.5 million.

After its $730 million recapitalization, Sterling Financial reported third-quarter net income to common shareholders of $33.6 million.

Renasant Corp. in Tupelo, Miss., reported that its third-quarter net income rose more than 363% from a year earlier, largely because of a huge gain on the purchase of a failed bank.

Add Capitol Bancorp Ltd. to the list of companies whose recapitalization efforts have been complicated by debtholders who are unwilling to budge.

KENNEWICK, Wash. – In one of the more ambitious moves in student-run branches in recent years, Gesa CU has opened new branches in three local high schools.

Peyton Patterson, the CEO of NewAlliance Bancshares, announced she will leave the company after it is acquired by First Niagara Financial early next year.

The third-quarter performance of small and midsize banks in California — long a bellwether for the nation's community institutions — has given rise to some optimism.