Pacific Continental Corp. in Eugene, Ore., said Monday that it expects to post fourth-quarter earnings of 28 cents a share, or 2 cents shy of the average of analysts' estimates, because of problem residential construction loans.

IronStone Bank, a Fort Myers, Fla., thrift subsidiary of the $16.3 billion-asset First Citizens Bancshares Inc. of Raleigh, entered the Kansas City, Mo., area last month with a loan production office it plans to turn into a branch this quarter, a spokesman said Monday.

Now that Guaranty Bank in Austin no longer turns over most of its earnings to a corporate parent, the $16 billion-asset thrift will be able to reinvest in itself.

Bradford Bancorp Inc.'s deal to buy another Maryland thrift is officially off.

Two Massachusetts mutual thrifts, Norwood Co-operative Bank and Walpole Co-operative Bank, have agreed to merge.

The dozen or so banks caught up in an alleged land development fraud in western North Carolina may not recover much of the $100 million they have lost, but some are trying to make sure that they do not get fooled again.

Cascade Bancorp's shares plunged Friday on news that the Bend, Ore., company expects to report weak fourth-quarter earnings due to losses on bad residential construction loans.

One of my favorite retailers competes in an industry not exactly known for differentiated offerings.

First Volunteer Corp. in Chattanooga, Tenn., has bought a century-old community bank in Benton, Tenn., that lost millions of dollars in an apparent loan fraud scheme.

The stock price of Oregon Pacific Bancorp Inc. soared Thursday after the Florence company announced that it plans to deregister its stock and go private.

Sun Bancorp Inc. of Vineland, N.J., said Thursday that it would take a $4.1 million fourth-quarter provision for loan losses and charge off $3.5 million of loans.

Another Michigan bank is warning about credit trouble prompted by the state's flagging economy.

Bradford Bancorp Inc.'s deal to buy another Maryland thrift is officially off.

WGNB Corp.'s shares fell sharply Thursday after the Carrollton, Ga., company warned that fourth-quarter and full-year earnings would fall well short of 2006 results due to continued weakness in its residential real estate portfolio.

Community bank directors have had an easy job for the last 10 to 15 years, and though I hear many directors complain about the job's workload and complexity, it is absolutely nothing compared to the early 1990s.

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United Bancorp Inc. of Tecumseh, Mich., warned Wednesday that it would add $5.1 million to its fourth-quarter provision for loan losses, because of deteriorating credit quality.

Few financial institutions are expanding as aggressively as Navy Federal Credit Union, and community bankers are watching closely.

MIDDLE ATLANTIC

Susquehanna Bancshares Inc. in Lititz, Pa., said Wednesday that it has a deal to buy the investment management firm Stratton Holding Co. in Plymouth Meeting, Pa.