A proposed combination of First Defiance and United Financial is designed to create an Ohio company that can better weather shocks from lower rates and economic uncertainty.

The large payment processor mergers were meant to give bigger companies a better way to compete against the nimble startups that were luring their customers away for digital services such as mobile point of sale. And post-merger, Fiserv and First Data have fired their first salvo.

Members of tiny CARCO Federal Credit Union have voted to approve a merger into Educational Systems FCU.

The deal between First Defiance and United Community would create a $6 billion-asset bank.

As credit union leaders converge on Washington, here's a look at some of the biggest legislative and regulatory issues facing the industry – and what it might take to move the needle.

Skip Brown, an executive with Winston-Salem Banking Group, says it has signed a letter of intent to buy a community bank three months after withdrawing a charter application.

Other banks have made splashy acquisitions there, but PSB Holdings is getting ready to open a branch after making inroads in the market for three years. Its next step could be M&A.

Next up for BB&T-SunTrust: deciding where to unload branches; how the Trump administration would reform Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac; why the CFPB's payday rule is in the hands of a Texas judge; and more from this week's most-read stories.

Both banks focus on the Chinese-American community.

Driver Management said it believes the company would create more shareholder value by finding a buyer.

The Baltimore company will pay $31 million for MB Bancorp.

The mortgage agencies would be privatized under Trump administration plan; central bank will probably cut rates by 25 bps, not 50 bps, at its next meeting.

Readers strongly react to whether the CFPB should have a say on bank mergers and if tribal areas should have special CRA credit, debate whether banks are embracing enough technology and more.

Falling stock prices and concerns about the health of the economy are depressing deal activity.

The merger of Cornerstone Community Credit Union into the Moline, Ill.-based Vibrant is expected to close on Oct. 1.

The banks, which plan to merge as Truist Financial, are expected soon to start selling hundreds of branches in the Southeast to satisfy antitrust concerns and increase efficiency.

Intense competition for deposits and a growing need for scale are spurring more New Jersey banks to seek out buyers.

With its CEO planning to retire, Penobscot County Federal Credit Union has agreed to merge with The County FCU.

Elevations' purchase of Cache Bank & Trust would be the first credit union acquisition of a bank in the state.

Elevations Credit Union has agreed to buy the assets of Cache Bank & Trust.