Bill Crawford seemed content to oversee slow and steady growth before agreeing to buy United Financial in a deal that will create a $5 billion-asset bank in the Northeast.

Americas United Bank (AUNB) in Glendale, Calif., has agreed to buy Silvergate Capital Corp.'s lone branch in Los Angeles county.

A compilation of the year's favorite stories, as selected by the people who assigned and edited them. Picks exclude items that appear among Top Stories of 2013, as measured by audience size.

We revisit some of the best comments readers posted to AmericanBanker.com and BankThink.com in 2013.

Susquehanna Bancshares is doing a sale-leaseback of 30 branches to improve its capital planning. But over the long term, and more importantly to the industry overall, it could also help the bank get out of branches that may one day become obsolete.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. issued a prompt corrective action against AztecAmerica Bank in Berwyn, Ill., in November and hit two other banks with consent orders.

Old National Bancorp (ONB) in Evansville, Ind., will pay a $500,000 fine in the process of satisfying a regulatory order to strengthen its anti-laundering controls.

Susquehanna Bancshares (SUSQ) in Lititz, Pa., has sold 30 branches to a SunTrust Banks (STI) subsidiary and agreed to lease them back.

The Columbus, Ga., company has overcome a series of challenges since 2008, yet it will face more in the coming year. CEO Kessel Stelling, in a Q&A, addresses questions about how it will boost revenue and profits.

Deals involving large community and midsize banks dominated M&A in 2013. The motives and market conditions involved differed dramatically, but all the dealmakers had -- and in some cases still have -- tough questions to answer from regulators, investors and activists.

A breakdown of M&A announcements in the financial services industry for the week ended Dec. 21.

Further delays in the M&T/Hudson City deal were a reminder of how hard it is to manage banks in the limbo between the announcements and closings of M&A agreements. Tougher regulatory scrutiny means longer waits and greater risk of cancellation.

Banc of California suffered from growing pains -- and a big third-quarter loss -- due to rapid expansion. CEO Steven Sugarman must prove to investors in 2014 that his efforts are leading to a stronger company.

Huntington Bancshares (HBAN) in Columbus, Ohio, plans to close nine branches after its acquisition of Camco Financial (CAFI) in Cambridge, Ohio.

Anchor Bancorp Wisconsin in Madison plans to return to the Nasdaq through an offering of common stock after it restructured debt by filing for bankruptcy.

Dealmaking involving insurance firms, real estate and some related technology businesses is expected to be busy in 2014. Commercial banks can bemoan tepid M&A in their own corner of the financial world, or learn from these other sectors.

Banks that want to expand via M&A will face a special challenge in 2014. The failed-bank market has quieted, but regulatory costs and other factors that are expected to drive open-bank M&A haven't coalesced quite yet, says bank M&A advisor Randy Dennis.

Next year could be a make or break moment for John Taylor, who was hired as CEO of a Kentucky company with one of the largest remaining Tarp balances and massive credit issues.

CMS Bancorp (CMSB) in White Plains, N.Y., plans to terminate its sale to Customers Bancorp (CUBI) in Wyomissing, Pa.

Investors Bancorp (ISBC) in Short Hills, N.J., plans to issue up to $2.5 billion of stock as part of its conversion from a mutual to a stock holding company.