Midland States Bancorp in Effingham, Ill., has ended loss-share agreements related to two failed banks it acquired.

Total deposits at U.S. banks climbed nearly 6% year over year, to $11.3 trillion, even as the total number of banks and branches declined.

Fallout from the Wells Fargo phony accounts scandal has reached Midwest bond borrowers, with Illinois announcing bans on bond and investment work and the Chicago City Council set to consider a moratorium on any bond-related business.

The $9.6 billion-asset company disclosed in a recent regulatory filing that it has a letter of intent to buy an unnamed banking company in Florida with about $400 million in assets.

It's hard to sell a big bank something regardless of the tech company's size. But for early-stage startups with only a handful of employees and a product still under development, the challenge is far greater than for seasoned tech vendors.

Independent ATM operator Cardtronics plc is expanding to Australia and New Zealand with the purchase of Canada’s DirectCash Payments Inc., which operates ATMs in several regions.

A Morgan Stanley unit was accused by Massachusetts officials of forcing its financial advisers into high-pressure sales contests to cross-sell so-called securities-based loans and other products to clients.

Chicago Treasurer Kurt Summers plans to divest $25 million the city has invested with Wells Fargo after the company admitted to opening potentially millions of bogus client accounts, joining state officials who have pulled business from the bank because of the scandal.

First Merchants Corp. recently agreed to buy a minority stake in a bank in an attractive market. The move could allow the company to obtain intel while gaining an edge should the other bank decide to sell.

Prosper Marketplace is closing the secondary market for its loans, citing a lack of demand among investors.

While the Wells Fargo scandal might offer marketing opportunities for community banks, there is concern about regulatory fallout that fails to distinguish between large and small banks.

A strategy to reinvigorate black-owned financial institutions would not only bring hope to the black community but would also be an inspiration for other minorities who seek to be more effectively served by financial institutions that understand their needs.

Meta Financial in Sioux Falls, S.D., has agreed to buy most of the assets and liabilities for a company that handles transactions for tax preparers.

First Commonwealth Financial in Indiana, Pa., has agreed to buy DCB Financial in Lewis Center, Ohio, for $106 million in cash and stock.

The private student loan market is dominated by large players, but some community banks are turning to a third-party tech company to help them get in the game.

Julie Stackhouse, head of supervision at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, discusses the insights that resonated at the regulator's recent community banking conference — some encouraging for the future of small financial institutions, others less so.

Shiv Govindan at Pilgrims & Indians Capital has kept a relatively low profile as a bank investor. But two key board appointments at struggling community banks promise to make him a more visible player in the industry.

WASHIINGTON -- The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Friday published its annual summary of insured deposits U.S. banks and thrifts.

Restoring consumer confidence in financial services won't be easy after the latest banking brouhaha, but the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau can help by proactively holding all mortgage loan officers to the same federal licensing standard.

MB Bancorp in Forest Hill, Md., has lined up a new chief executive.