Banks and bankers have got to make every effort to restore the industry's reputation. There is no silver bullet to accomplish this, but here are some steps that would help.

Westamerica Bancorp. bought back the remaining preferred shares sold to the Treasury Department in February, becoming the latest banking company to redeem its funding under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

PALO ALTO, Calif.–Addison Avenue Federal Credit Union acquired USE Credit Union’s San Jose, Calif., branch on Nov. 1, and said it now offers its members greater convenience with branches throughout the Silicon Valley.

EUGENE, Ore. – SELCO Community CU said it is expanding its service in central Oregon with a new branch inside the Redmond Wal-Mart.

In a bid to get its bank unit adequately capitalized, Horizon Bancorp. Inc. in Bradenton, Fla., is trying to raise $5 million in a private placement of convertible preferred stock.

NEW ENGLAND

A new group formed to buy failing banks plans to use its recent deal for tiny, well-capitalized Palisades National Bank as a springboard for further acquisitions.

CFS Bancorp in Munster, Ind., is exploring its strategic options, including the possibility of selling itself.

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SVB Financial Group in Santa Clara, Calif., says it plans to raise $300 million in a sale of common stock and use most of the proceeds to repay all of its government-issued capital.

In what would be the biggest purchase of bank branches by a credit union, Royal Credit Union said it had agreed to buy 11 offices from the troubled Anchor BanCorp.

A growing number of smaller banks are looking to finance transactions in a market long dominated by giants like Bank of America and Wells Fargo.

Royal Credit Union announced this morning it has agreed to acquire 11 branches in northwestern Wisconsin from troubled AnchorBank.

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The $186 million-asset Wooster company, which warned this spring that it might fail, announced Monday that it has agreed to sell a majority stake to Excel Financial LLC of St. Clairsville, Ohio, for $15 million.

If you don't like the rules, change them. That's what one blank-check company did when a looming deadline threatened its plans to buy a Nevada bank.

Pentagon Federal Credit Union has agreed to become the first credit union to issue American Express cards to its members.

VERNON HILLS, Ill. — Branch-related expenses are under scrutiny at Baxter Credit Union, but in the process it keeps its eye on something else: member service and satisfaction.

SUITLAND, Md. – Andrews FCU said it has opened a new branch located in nearby Mt. Laurel, N.J.

ALAMAGORDO, N.M. – Otero FCU is planning to build new offices, a two-story building that will provide the $210 million credit union with 22,000 square-feet of space.