Yadkin Valley Financial Corp. in Elkin, N.C., said Friday that its fourth-quarter earnings plunged 93% from a year earlier, to $217,000.

Shares of Columbia Bancorp in The Dalles, Ore., tanked Friday, after the company announced that it is under a regulatory order to bolster capital at its banking unit.

When it comes to asset growth and the raising of capital and core deposits, ServisFirst Bank in Birmingham, Ala., is a standout among this decade's start-ups.

Carver Bancorp Inc. in New York said Friday that a goodwill impairment charge and a higher loss provision had caused it to swing to a loss of $6.5 million, or $2.63 a share, in its fiscal third quarter, which ended Dec. 31. It earned $1.6 million, or 62 cents a share, a year earlier.

As financial institutions close on Treasury purchases through the Troubled Asset Relief Program and the Capital Purchase Program, management and compensation committees now turn to the task of implementing the related executive compensation restrictions.

Independence Federal Savings Bank in Washington said late Wednesday that it has agreed to buy the $168 million-asset Colombo Bancshares Inc. in Rockville, Md.

VIENNA, Va. – Navy FCU is turning to environmentally friendly materials for its new branch in Lexington Park, Md.

HOUSTON – Smart Financial CU has opened its latest service center here insinde an office where an old branch was housed.

Synovus Financial Corp. in Columbus, Ga., announced that it is combining four of its community banking units.

Two weeks after announcing preliminary results for the quarter that ended Dec. 31, PVF Capital Corp. of Solon, Ohio, is taking a second look at its loan portfolio.

MIDWEST

Before he started CoBiz Financial Inc. 15 years ago, Steven Bangert made his name pairing investors with troubled institutions.

EL PASO, Texas – El Paso Employees FCU opened its eight El Paso branch Monday, with a Spanish style that fits the neighborhood.

WILTON, Conn. – Mutual Security CU is moving into a new home in nearby Shelton next month where it will be the only credit union or bank that headquartered in Shelton.

BURNSVILLE, Minn. – US FCU has acquired a 30,000-square-foot the Alpha Office Tech Center in Bloomington from CUNA Mutual Group.

American Momentum Bank in Tampa said Tuesday that it has hired a team of more than a dozen bankers from Citigroup Inc. to help expand its Texas business.

BankAtlantic Bancorp Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said Tuesday that its net loss swelled to $156.6 million in the fourth quarter, largely because of a goodwill impairment charge, the writedown of deferred tax assets, and continued loan deterioration.

To save a small Wyoming bank, the owners are not only selling it to a stronger company, but also providing their own troubled-asset relief program.

Shares of Camco Financial Corp. slipped Monday after the Cambridge, Ohio, company reported a $13.5 million fourth-quarter loss on a sharp decline in credit quality.

Given how hard it is to win regulatory approval for a new bank these days, a tactic being used in Texas could gain wider use.