Washington

Sterling Bank in Spokane, Wash. will allow customers to transfer money to and from accounts at other financial institutions for free.

HomeStreet in Seattle plans to buy two small Washington lenders for a total of $37.3 million.

Washington Federal (WAFD) in Seattle has agreed to buy 51 branches from Bank of America (BAC).

Carolina Premier Bank hopes its blend of Southern charm and robust technology (robotic bankers, anyone?) will be a hit with residents in the nation's capital.

Union Bank in San Francisco has created a new bank account designed for the underbanked.

BBVA Compass is ramping up efforts along the East Coast with plans to open loan-production offices in New York and Washington.

Bank regulators have lifted a memorandum of understanding against Timberland Bank nearly three years after the bank was hit with the enforcement action.

F.N.B. Corp. (FNB) in Hermitage, Pa., said late Monday it had agreed to buy Annapolis Bancorp (ANNB), which owns the Bank of Annapolis, for $51 million in stock.

First Financial Northwest in Renton, Wash., a $973 million-asset company, lost $791,000 in the third quarter, compared to net income of $1.4 million in the second quarter and profit of $623,000 a year earlier.

Sterling Financial in Spokane, Wash., said that two lawsuits filed over its bank's overdraft fees have been dismissed.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has lifted a cease-and-desist order against Twin City Bank after it raised fresh capital.

Regulators lifted an enforcement action against Anchor Bank in Lacey, Wash., and replaced it with a softer one.

Sound Financial in Seattle is nearing its conversion a fully stock-owned company.

HomeStreet Bank in Seattle has added the U.S. Small Business Administration loans to its menu of services for small and middle-market companies in the Puget Sound region.

The Federal Reserve Board has terminated a written agreement with Coastal Financial that required the Everett, Wash., company to improve asset quality and risk management.

Prime Pacific Financial Services in Lynwood, Wash., will raise $5 million through a private placement of common stock as it works to meet capital requirements from a regulatory order.

Strong gains in fee income combined with improved asset quality powered West Coast Bancorp in Lake Oswego, Wash., to a $6 million profit in the second quarter, up 30% from the same period in 2010.

Anchor Bancorp (ANCB) in Lacey, Wash., will increase its fiscal-year fourth-quarter loan-loss provision by $1.1 million, leading to an expected loss for the period.

Activist investor Joseph Stilwell has stepped up his campaign to oust the chief executive at First Financial Northwest (FFNW) in Renton, Wash.

First Financial Northwest in Renton, Wash., and Stilwell Partners are both claiming victory following last week's annual meeting. A representative for the activist shareholder has threatened a legal challenge if its nominee isn't added to the board.