Northway Bank in Berlin, N.H., has exited the Small Business Lending Fund.

Carolina Financial in Charleston, S.C., has agreed to buy Congaree Bancshares in Cayce, S.C.

Subpar mentoring programs for recruits new to the banking industry could be the reason institutions are finding it hard to keep new talent.

BancorpSouth in Tupelo, Miss., has agreed to settle a lawsuit tied to how it determines overdraft fees on debit card and ATM transactions.

OceanFirst Financial in Toms River, N.J., has agreed to buy Cape Bancorp in Cape May Court House, N.J.

Banking industry officials hailed changes Tuesday to a Financial Accounting Standards Board rule that they have long complained unfairly distorts banks' quarterly earnings.

Ally Financial in Detroit has received a demand from an activist investor to explore strategic alternatives, including a possible sale of the company. The activist is also seeking two board seats.

Community Shores Bank Corp. in Muskegon, Mich., has raised about $5.3 million and has been released from an enforcement action.

Grant Bancshares in Natchitoches, La., has acquired Bank of Ringgold in Louisiana.

The number of locally owned banks in Westchester County has shrunk from 25 institutions in the 1970s to just four today. PCSB, which moved its headquarters to the county after buying a local bank, hopes to settle in quickly.

Riverview Financial in Harrisburg, Pa., has completed an acquisition that it had shelved last summer.

BOK Financial in Tulsa, Okla., has agreed to buy Weaver Wealth Management, an investment advisory firm in Texas.

Sierra Bancorp in Porterville, Calif., has agreed to buy Coast Bancorp in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

KeyCorp in Cleveland will retain two First Niagara Financial Group executives after its acquisition of the Buffalo, N.Y., company closes.

Bank consolidation turned a corner last year as more large banks became comfortable returning to M&A. A panel of investment bankers believes that trend will continue in the coming year.

A large investor in Old Point Financial is looking to gain a seat on the Hampton, Va., company’s board.

Unlike the bargain-heavy aftermath of the crisis, acquisitions during the recovery have been hampered by high premiums and unsatisfactory returns.

Opportunities abound, in affordable housing, capital raising, consumer lending and more. We aim to get you thinking about how new developments on many fronts could affect your business as you plan for the coming year and beyond.

Heritage Bankshares in Norfolk, Va., has exited the Small Business Lending Fund, ahead of its proposed deal to be acquired by Southern BancShares in Mount Olive, N.C.

SB Financial Group in Defiance, Ohio, has bought a former Fifth Third Bank branch in Bowling Green, Ohio.