Banking trade groups are arguing "no" in a court case that they hope will overturn a National Credit Union Administration ruling letting Members 1st Federal Credit Union in Mechanicsburg, Pa., extend its membership field to cover the more than 1.1 million residents of a 3,400-square-mile, six-county area.

Despite pressure to sell from one of its largest shareholders, Cape Fear Bank Corp. insists it has studied its options and decided to remain independent.

BRANDON, Vt. -

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -

ATLANTA -

BOULDER, Colo. -

MECHANICSBURG, Penn. -

PENSACOLA, Fla. - After building this state's first commercial building to receive the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification three years ago, Navy FCU is completing its second LEED facility here.

INDIANAPOLIS -

Carver Bancorp Inc. of New York said Tuesday that it swung to a profit of $800,000 for its fiscal 2008 second quarter that ended Sept. 30, from a loss of $900,000 a year earlier.

WSB Financial Group Inc. in Bremerton, Wash., said Tuesday that it expects to add $7 million to $9 million to its reserves to cover possible losses from a portfolio of 146 mortgage loans made by one or two former lenders.

Bankers in parts of California hurt most by the housing slowdown said they worry about the potential for a ripple effect in their commercial real estate portfolios, so they are working to minimize their risk.

Two small Pittsburgh-area banking companies have announced plans to merge.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is expected to release its third-quarter report on the health of the banking industry on Nov. 28.

Michigan's ailing economy is testing banks there, but its wealthiest county is still attracting new institutions.

The Chicago investment bank Howe Barnes Hoefer & Arnett has created an investment vehicle aimed at raising the profile of small-bank stocks that have gotten scant notice from institutional investors.

New Century Bancorp in Dunn, N.C., is merging its two subsidiary banks into one to improve efficiency and profits.

First Community Bancshares in Overland Park, Kan., is expanding in Missouri by buying the $34.6 million-asset NKC Bancshares Inc. in North Kansas City, Mo.

Farmers and Merchants Bank in Stuttgart, Ark., has agreed to buy the $120 million-asset Chart Bank in Perryville, Ark., according to a local news report.

With competition for prime branch sites more intense than ever, credit unions and banks are moving quickly to secure their next locations. Perhaps too quickly. In the rush to outrace competitors into the next hot market, financials sometimes neglect to include some basic provisions into their sale or lease agreements that could save the institution considerable angst in the future.