First Merchants Corp. in Muncie, Ind., has agreed to buy Ameriana Bancorp in New Castle, Ind.

Citizens Community Bank in South Hill, Va., has redeemed about 75% of its outstanding preferred stock in the Small Business Lending Fund.

Juniata Valley Financial in Mifflintown, Pa., has agreed to buy FNBPA Bancorp in Port Allegany, Pa.

Porter Bancorp in of Louisville, Ky., has adopted a plan to preserve the value of its deferred tax benefits, designed to allow the company to continue the use of net operating loss carryforwards.

Citigroup has agreed to acquire Brooks Brothers' credit card portfolio and issue cards on behalf of the clothing retailer.

After scaling back its U.S. operations, Popular Inc. plans to focus on niche commercial lending markets, including financing for elder care and assisted living facilities.

Ex-banker Sandy Kemper, the chief executive of an online marketplace that allows companies to negotiate over discounted, speedier payments, discusses the future of commercial finance.

Digital Asset Holdings, the blockchain technology startup led by JPMorgan Chase alum Blythe Masters, is expanding its capabilities by acquiring other such firms.

Banks have faced increased scrutiny of their treatment of customers since the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and BB&T and others have proven that the process can be managed. Old fights with regulators can be put in the past if banks work hard at it.

MidWestOne Financial Group in Iowa City, Iowa has raised $8.4 million in a private placement of its common stock.

Atlantic Coast Financial in Jacksonville, Fla., has taken several steps to restructure its debt holdings, including prepaying $60 million in advances with the Federal Home Loan Bank and $56.3 million of securities sold under separate repurchase agreements.

If approved, Core Commercial Bank would be just the third new bank to open in the U.S. since the financial crisis.

A Los Angeles-based community group has dropped its objection to the proposed sale of City National Bank to Royal Bank of Canada and now says the deal should be expedited.

Farmers National Banc in Canfield, Ohio, has agreed to buy Tri-State First Banc in East Liverpool, Ohio.

Access National's four-year-old wealth management subsidiary has grown rapidly and is poised to enter the black. The allure of fee revenues has drawn many community banks into this field amid weak loan growth and tight interest margins.

Credit Karma in San Francisco has raised $175 million in venture capital to expand its product offerings for consumers' personal finances.

Northwest Bancorp. in Spokane, Wash., has agreed to buy Fairfield Financial Holdings in Fairfield, Wash., for about $21 million in cash. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter.

SRS Acquiom, a provider of merger and acquisition services, has appointed former JPMorgan Chase executive Heidi Miller to its board.

The big bank has taken heat from social conservatives about its TV advertisement featuring a same-sex couple adopting a child, but Wells executives say the ad is part of a larger campaign that embraces the many demographic groups in its customer base.

Regions Financial and U.S. Bancorp are among the institutions that are using independent filmmakers to produce high-quality videos for YouTube and other channels. Industry experts warn, however, that success is far from assured in an already crowded social media world.