United Bankshares Inc. announced Thursday that it has agreed to buy Centra Financial Holdings Inc. for $187 million.

U.S. AgBank and CoBank, two of the nation's largest agricultural lenders, plan to merge next year, expanding their reach as the farm economy booms.

U.S. foreclosure filings in November totaled 262,339, a 21% decrease from the previous month and a 14% decrease from November 2009.

Tower Bancorp of Harrisburg, Pa., said it will sell a minimum 2.2 million shares in its planned equity offering and that the shares priced at a 10% discount to their Wednesday close.

HOUGHTON LAKES, Mich. – North Central Area CU has teamed up with Houghton Lake Schools to create the “Elementary Bobcat Branch.”

SAN FRANCISCO – Patelco CU, which is in the process of moving to suburban Pleasanton, sold its south financial district headquarters to New Urban Properties for $10 million.

Sandy Spring Bancorp Inc. in Olney, Md., redeemed the remaining $41.5 million of preferred stock held by the Treasury Department.

First Mid-Illinois Bancshares Inc. in Mattoon said Tuesday that it would raise up to $25 million in capital through a private placement of preferred stock.

BancFirst Corp. in Oklahoma City on Wednesday completed its purchase of OK Bancorp., its second acquisition this week.

United Western Bancorp Inc. in Denver said its thrift was undercapitalized at Sept. 30 after further writedowns on its portfolio of mortgage-backed securities.

Beehive Credit Union in Salt Lake City, which once had assets of $200 million and unsuccessfully tried to convert to a mutual savings bank, was shut down Wednesday.

The number of banks and thrifts deferring dividends on preferred stock from the Troubled Asset Relief Program rose last month, according to a report.

Sun Bancorp Inc. in Vineland, N.J., said Wednesday that it expects to report a $25 million loss from the sale of commercial real estate loans.

Norwood Financial Corp. in Honesdale, Pa., has agreed to buy rival North Penn Bancorp Inc. of Scranton for $27.1 million.

At a time when banks need to distinguish themselves and boost revenue, Investors Bancorp Inc. is embracing a service that many banks are wary of: remittances.

Washington Trust Bank in Spokane is offering mobile banking services to its customers through text, mobile Web and dedicated applications using mFoundry Inc.'s software.

Right or wrong, rumors of a Florida expansion by PNC touched a nerve with investors who are eager for straggling banks like Regions and BankAtlantic to get back on course.

A consortium of non-profit consumer credit counseling agencies filed a joint complaint letter with the Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday, calling for the agency to take "immediate investigative and enforcement action against debt settlement companies that have brazenly evaded" the FTC's recently amended Telemarketing Sales Rules.

Regulators have prohibited Weststar Financial Services Corp. in Asheville, N.C., from paying dividends or reducing the capital at its bank unit without permission.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has thrown its support behind legislation that would allow longtime borrowers to continue to have their loans guaranteed.