North Carolina

Sound Bank has new management as part of the transaction. It will also get a new name and expand into higher-growth markets.

The two banks’ CEOs used a public hearing to argue their merger will be a boon for underserved markets. But other speakers warned that bank consolidation hurts communities.

SmartFinancial lined up a compelling merger with Entegra. Then a bigger bank offered more money and a higher premium.

Entegra Financial, which had a deal to be sold to SmartFinancial, has instead agreed to be sold to First Citizens, which offered more money and will pay a breakup fee for the initial deal.

The Raleigh, N.C.-based institution said it also has more than 500 employees.

The Minneapolis bank will open about 10 branches in North Carolina's largest city by the end of next year, adding to already intensifying competition among big banks.

The cold, hard truth of bank mergers is that rivals often steal top producers and convince customers the bigger bank won’t care about them anymore. The CEOs of the merging banks explain their retention efforts.

Tens of millions of dollars of M&A costs and a decline in mortgage activity offset higher loan income in the first quarter at the two banks, which also offered a timeline for their rebranding and shareholder votes.

The two banks will each give $15 million to the Foundation for the Carolinas, which supports affordable housing development in Mecklenburg County.

Commercial Bank of Ivanovo, in which former North Carolina Representative Charles Taylor owns an 80% stake, regularly broke anti-money-laundering regulations and used “schemes” to artificially inflate its capital, according to a central bank statement.

The North Carolina company was hit with a tax penalty tied to its purchase of Chattahoochee Bank of Georgia.

Community Bank of the Carolinas must raise about $4 million before becoming the state’s first new bank since the financial crisis.

The Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. will hold two public meetings to consider the deal's impact on the U.S. banking system.

The regional bank, which recently agreed to buy SunTrust, is co-developing a game to help elementary-school kids learn to read.

The combined bank would be chartered in North Carolina, with the FDIC serving as its lead federal regulator, N.C. Banking Commissioner Ray Grace says. The merger partners had other options, including the Fed and the OCC.

Big bank mergers have historically been a catalyst for startups. Experts say it could happen again.

It took less than six months to hammer out the biggest bank merger in more than a decade, and the price was one of the last things discussed, according to a new federal filing.

American National Bankshares is trying to force the proposed American Bank & Trust to change its name.

The national awareness initiative has broadened its rollout to the Carolinas after launching in Minnesota earlier this year.

Wymar Federal Credit Union in Louisiana has also distributed a bonus to members.