Washington

Columbia Banking System Inc. of Tacoma said it plans to sell $208.8 million of common shares to bolster its already-fat capital ratios.

There's a new wrinkle in the latest round of recapitalizations: The only way for the banks involved to win is for taxpayers to lose.

WASHINGTON — TD Bank of Wilmington, Del., purchased three separate failed banks in Florida late Friday, totaling $3.9 billion in assets, on a night that saw a total of eight bank collapses.

WASHINGTON — TD Bank of Wilmington, Del., purchased three separate failed banks in Florida late Friday, totaling $3.9 billion in assets, on a night that saw a total of eight bank collapses.

Charter Bank in Bellevue, Wash., is changing its name to better reflect its mission of serving high-net-worth individuals and their businesses.

The president of Frontier Financial Corp.'s bank unit said he was fired for trying to use vacation time.

When Pacific Continental says it is going to be picky, it has credibility. After all, the $1.1 billion-asset company in Eugene, Ore., has made only one acquisition since 1972.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has issued a prompt corrective action order against Frontier Bank of Everett, Wash., giving it until April 15 to merge with another institution or sell shares or obligations to become at least "adequately capitalized."

In recent weeks some bank stocks have been delisted for failing to meet the market's $1 minimum bid price requirement, and as Nasdaq cracks down, other banks are choosing to delist voluntarily before they get kicked out.

State regulators shut two banks on Friday, bringing the year's total failures to 22. The failures are expected to cost the Deposit Insurance Fund $103.1 million.

WASHINGTON — For the second Friday in a row, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. relied on new-bank capital to find homes for the operations of failed institutions.

Loan sales helped a growing number of community banks push some of their problems out the door in the fourth quarter.

WASHINGTON — Regulators seized five banks in as many states Friday, bringing the 2010 failure total to nine.

Its numbers are still a bit wanting, but Washington Federal Inc. is distinguishing itself from the pack of recession-hit also-rans in the beleaguered Pacific Northwest.

Friday brought the first failure of the year as Horizon Bank in Bellingham, Wash., was closed by state regulators.

President Obama is due to meet today with 11 chief executives of community banks, following up on a meeting with the heads of larger institutions last week.

Banner Corp. in Walla Walla, Wash., terminated a common stock offering Friday, citing "current market conditions."

The Federal Reserve has announced enforcement actions against two banking companies in Washington State and one in Kansas.

Washington Banking Co. started a public offering of at least $30 million of its common stock as the small northwest Washington company looks to boost its capital levels.

In a move that should help stressed banks avoid public relations fiascoes, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has toned down the harsh wording of orders it issues to such institutions.