Virgin Group founder Richard Branson says Square "is an incredible technology that inspires and empowers everyone to be an entrepreneur."

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The deal between Sterling Financial and First Independent, both of Washington state, relies on a complex carve-out from a bank holding company. Creative maneuvers are needed these days, but this model isn't for everyone.

Southern Missouri charges ahead with a stock offering, while South Valley of Oregon pulls back an IPO. The divergent decisions say everything about the tough calls that small banks face in dealing with volatile stock markets.

Nara Bancorp Inc. and Center Financial Corp. said on Monday that they had cleared their last regulatory hurdle for their planned merger after they received approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

The Spokane, Wash., bank added a chapter to its comeback story Monday in agreeing to buy the banking operations of an instate rival.

Bank of America, which has been divesting itself of assets in recent months, agreed to sell its stake in the largest Pizza Hut Franchisee to private-equity firm Olympus Partners.

South Valley Bancorp Inc. in Klamath Falls, Ore., has withdrawn its plan to go public, stating in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that "current market conditions make proceeding with this offering unattractive."

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. plays a far more active role in the last days of banks than it cares to let on, explains Washington correspondent Joe Adler.

A Utah bank linked to an alleged Internet payment scam and an online gambling case was seized by the state late Friday, on a night when regulators also closed a bank in Nebraska.

ICB Financial in California paid the FDIC $500,000 for a waiver against any cross-guarantee liability from the failure of Progress Bank of Florida.

Kentucky First Federal Bancorp in Hazard, Ky., has is acquiring CKF Bancorp Inc. in Danville, Ky., in a deal that would expand its branch network into two new markets in its home state.

PayPal Inc., a pioneer in alternative online payments, is now seeking to stake a new claim in the burgeoning and increasingly congested mobile payments space — and what sets it apart may be a three-year-old acquisition.

Windham Professionals, a collection agency based in Salem, N.H., plans to open an office in Alcoa, Tenn. by February 2012. The agency expects to hire 125 employees in the fields of "accounting, administration, human resources and training," according to a company news release.

BB&T Corp., the ninth-largest U.S. bank by deposits, may consider acquisitions in Maryland and Texas to reach at least a No. 5 market share in those states, chief executive officer Kelly King said.

BankAtlantic Bancorp Inc. said Thursday that its third-quarter loss narrowed considerably from the same period last year, but that credit quality weakened somewhat during one of its last quarters as a bank holding company.

Dealmakers are focused on community banks, especially private ones.

Joseph E. Hasten, a former vice chairman at U.S. Bancorp, died Tuesday after a brief illness. He was 59.

The Federal Reserve on Thursday said it has issued a consent order to a Baltimore company, instructing it to take action to improve the composition and business practices of its board.

Ocean Store Holding Co. in Ocean City, N.J., reported late Wednesday that its third-quarter earnings fell 16% from a year earlier, to $1.2 million, due to expenses tied to an acquisition.