OMG, earnings season is a rough time, but Richard Davis, the Minneapolis bank's CEO, borrows from the teenage lexicon to lighten the mood.

Small-business lending may be heating up for the most creditworthy borrowers, but gaps in that market remain, according to Small Business Administration head Karen Mills.

Fueled by acquisitions and strong organic loan growth, People's United Financial (PBCT) in Bridgeport, Conn., said Thursday that it earned $58.8 million in the first quarter, up 36% from the same quarter in 2011.

Sallie Krawcheck has had no trouble staying busy since leaving Bank of America. She recently joined the advisory board of Gold Bullion International and is on her way to growing a vast Twitter following.

First Horizon National in Memphis said Thursday that its first-quarter profit fell l3% from the same period in 2011, to $30.5 million, as improvement in its banking and capital markets units could not offset steep losses in its defunct mortgage operations.

Consumers are more disappointed with bank fees, but that frustration has been largely offset by more positive experiences at branches and ATMs, according to a new survey by J.D. Power and Associates.

In October of last year the acting chairman of the FDIC said at the annual ABA meeting, "the FDIC is going to undertake a number in initiatives to further our understanding of the challenges and opportunities for community banks."

Fifth Third Bancorp's (FITB) first-quarter earnings jumped 62% as results got a boost from the regional lender's gains on the initial public offering of Vantiv Inc. (VNTV) and an improved credit environment.

Larry Hattix believes that adding outside bureaucracy "will significantly delay exam processing and corrective actions," while making it more difficult for regulators to intervene when problems arise at banks and thrifts.

Increased mortgage banking revenue helped lift first-quarter profit at Umpqua Holdings (UMPQ) of Portland, Ore.

Astoria Financial (AF) in Lake Success, N.Y., said after markets closed Wednesday that its first-quarter earnings fell 64% from the same period a year earlier, to $10 million, due to higher deposit insurance premiums, an increase in its loan-loss provision, and $3.4 million in severance costs relating to recent staff cuts.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau plans to pursue actions against lenders for discriminatory practices, even when that discrimination is unintentional.

Two New England banking companies are getting closer to requiring their directors to stand for election yearly.

As if Bank of America doesn't have enough to deal with, a spoof Web site popped up Wednesday and published a fake letter from Chief Executive Brian Moynihan claiming the bank "isn't working anymore."

FAIRFAX, Va. – Apple FCU opened its 21st branch last week, inside the Winchester Medical Complex.

American Express (AXP), the largest credit-card issuer by spending, posted a 7% increase in first-quarter earnings as customers used their cards more and loan quality improved.

Bank of the West has created a private mortgage banking team that will largely cater to the bank's wealth management clients.

The Columbus, Ohio, bank's chief is happy about its first-quarter loan growth but says he is taking steps to ensure it doesn't get ahead of the economy.

Annapolis Bancorp (ANNB) has repaid half of the $8.2 million it owed the Treasury Department under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

S.Y. Bancorp (SYBT) in Louisville, Ky., posted record earnings in the first quarter even as its loan portfolio is beginning to show some cracks.