The Federal Reserve extended the public comment period for KeyCorp's proposed $4.1 billion takeover of First Niagara Financial Group until Jan. 31, after a lawmaker said communities affected by the deal need to weigh in.

Synovus Financial in Columbus, Ga., has offered to acquire up to $100 million of its outstanding subordinated debt.

Middleburg Financial in Middleburg, Va., plans to record a $3 million impairment charge tied to a participation loan in which the borrower has been accused of fraud.

Citizens & Northern in Wellsboro, Pa., has paid off a $24 million repurchase agreement and will record a loss on the prepayment.

Birmingham Bloomfield Bancshares in Birmingham, Mich., has redeemed its shares in the Small Business Lending Fund and exited the program.

BankMobile attracted 100,000 users in its first year and with the acquisition of a couple of business lines from collegiate servicer Higher One it is projecting it will have 2 million by July.

American Banker predicted these five community bankers would make news in 2015, and they did not disappoint. Some pursued M&A, one went public, and one even helped break up his bank.

Directors at credit unions used to work for free, but that is starting to change — and it's rankling banking industry officials who say it's another example of the nonprofit cooperatives mimicking banks without shouldering the same tax burden.

The $3.9 billion-asset holding company for Busey Bank redeemed all its remaining shares in the program at a total redemption price of about $72.8 million.

Another institution helped push New York Community Bancorp to add cash to its bid, a filing disclosed. While Astoria's board was concerned about NYCB's plans for an aggressive balance sheet restructuring and capital raise, management believed the other suitor's offer had more execution risk.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., has asked for more time for public comment on KeyCorp's proposed takeover of First Niagara Financial Group, and said more study is needed on the deal's potential economic impact on western New York.

Tri-Valley Bank in San Ramon, Calif., said that its largest individual shareholder is making a bid to double his stake.

California Republic Bancorp in Irvine has securitized $380 million of its prime auto loans.

Banks face immense challenges trying to keep up with technology, but they also must cater to older customers with big deposit accounts who still use their branch.

Merger activity gained steam in 2015. Total bank-deal value reached its highest level since the financial crisis as more big agreements were announced. Regional banks were among the hungriest buyers, suggesting that tougher regulatory hurdles had become less of an M&A deterrent than in previous years.

For steering the Winston-Salem, N.C., company through an extended period of industry adversity, while providing a blueprint for large-scale M&A, King has been named American Banker's Banker of the Year for 2015.

Bay Bancorp in Columbia, Md., has agreed to buy Hopkins Bancorp in Pikesville, Md., for $23.8 million in cash.

Three banks have redeemed shares of preferred stock to make their exits from the Small Business Lending Fund.

Zurich Insurance Group agreed to buy a Wells Fargo crop-insurance business for as much as $1.05 billion as the Swiss company puts to work excess cash left over from a separate takeover bid that it abandoned this year.

Atlantic Capital Bancshares in Atlanta has agreed to sell seven branches in Tennessee in two separate deals.