Georgia

United Bank in Zebulon, Ga., has agreed to acquire Monroe County Bank in Forsyth, Ga.

Community & Southern Holdings in Atlanta has agreed to buy Alliance Bancshares in Dalton, Ga.

A founding director at Touchmark Bancshares in Georgia claims he was ousted after questioning the bank's strategy. Now he is lobbying for the company's sale.

Five Star Credit Union in Dothan, Ala., has received approval from the Alabama Credit Union Administration to buy Flint River National Bank in Camilla, Ga.

SunTrust (STI) has opened a downtown Atlanta branch to test new bank technology concepts that could be used in other SunTrust branches nationwide.

United Community Bank (UCBI) in Georgia is expanding its Small Business Administration funding by acquiring a portion of Business Carolina's (BCI) operations.

State Bank Financial (STBZ) in Atlanta has agreed to buy Atlanta Bancorp.

Heritage Financial (HBOS) in Albany, Ga., has agreed to buy Alarion Financial Services in Ocala, Fla.

ATLANTA — Much like healthcare.gov struggled on its way to signing up 7.1 million Americans, private health insurance exchanges partnering with credit unions are reporting their own enrollment challenges.

NorthSide Bank in Adairsville, Ga., has hired a new president and chief executive.

Fidelity Southern (LION) in Atlanta has filed documents that would allow it to issue up to $100 million in stock, warrants and debt.

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta has appointed Bank of Georgetown Chairman Michael Fitzgerald to its board of directors.

A unit of SunTrust (STI) in Atlanta has acquired an advisory firm that targets the oil and gas industry.

United Community Banks (UCBI) in Blairsville, Ga., said it expects to report earnings of $14 million to $15 million for the first quarter.

Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) in Moultrie, Ga., has repurchased all the shares it issued under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

If banks are serious about outsmarting thieves, fraudsters and hackers then they need to be more open to sharing information between departments and with rival banks and nonbank partners, industry practitioners say.

Piedmont Bancorp in Peachtree Corners, Ga., plans to raise $8 million through a private placement of subordinated debt and common stock.

Analysts Joseph Fenech and Kevin Fitzsimmons have resigned from the research department at Sandler O'Neill.

Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) in Moultrie, Ga., has agreed to buy Coastal Bankshares in Savannah, Ga.

Consumers were less eager to seek new mortgage loans for home purchases in the first quarter, in part due to cold weather across swaths of the country, according to a Federal Reserve report released Wednesday.