Safe. Small. Privately Held. Those were the descriptions of the five M&A deals that occurred in the span of a few days. A lot has to change before many prospective buyers and sellers take the plunge.

Recession-era cuts merely kept ratios of assets to employees stable as balance sheets shrank, and current ratios of compensation to earnings are well above levels that prevailed before the downturn.

The best-performing community banks and thrifts in the country are concentrated in the Northeast, according to a new report from Sandler O'Neill & Partners LP.

From the perspective of New York City's community bankers, 9/11 bred a new era of caution and governmental oversight that will not go away anytime soon.

Hamilton State Bancshares Inc. in Hoschton, Ga., said Friday that it completed a cash tender offer, repurchasing $1.5 million of its common stock.

First Merchants Corp. in Muncie, Ind., announced Friday that is planning to exit the Troubled Asset Relief Program using a combination of proceeds from a recent stock offering and a low-interest loan from the Treasury Department's Small Business Lending Fund.

S1 has postponed the shareholder meeting it scheduled to vote on its planned merger with Fundtech. The meeting, originally scheduled for Sept. 22, is now planned for Oct. 13. S1 still faces a hostile bid from ACI Worldwide.

Consumer borrowing increased by the largest amount in more than three years in July, led by a gain in non-revolving credit that includes student loans.

The president told Congress that he would act on his own to allow more Americans to refinance their mortgages. His jobs legislation will also include an infrastructure bank, an idea that has failed to gain enough support in the past.

PATERSON, N.J. – Thanks to its “Green Machine,” North Jersey FCU said it has been able to continue to offer branch service to members despite ongoing flooding.

As the United States commemorates the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attack, the financial community, among many others, is taking time to reflect on those lost. We should also remember how difficult it must be for their surviving families.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Alaska USA FCU has deployed NCR’s APTRA software at its 150 ATMs – including 70 non-NCR machines – in 45 days.

HERSHEY, Penn. – Heavy rains in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Lee have set off flash flooding across much of central Pennsylvania, affecting CU service and closing at least one office.

Bank of North Carolina in Thomasville, N.C., announced Thursday that it is buying Regent Bank in Greenville, S.C., for $9.8 million.

The paperless document storage provider Doxo has signed up Sound Community Bank. Sound, of Seattle, will let customers receive all communications in Doxo's online file cabinet.

Chicago's City Council published an ordinance Thursday that would require banks, mortgage servicers and institutional investors to provide maintenance and upkeep of vacant properties before the homes have gone through foreclosure.

Cullen/Frost CEO Dick Evans, whose company dominates its home base of San Antonio, tells American Banker about his strategies for maintaining that market share, dealing with new regulations, and looking for acquisition targets.

A new survey released Thursday by the American Bankers Association revealed that, for the first time, most Americans 55 years and older prefer to do their banking online rather than at branches or automated teller machines.

Software lets mobile banking users apply for a better credit card deal by taking a photo of a card bill with their mobile phone.

A borrower who defaulted on a mortgage during the recession is not necessarily a bad risk for a credit card lender. To properly evaluate risk in the current environment, First Data is adopting a new instant-credit decisioning and underwriting system from Zoot.