I like to ask folks to think of their least-positive customer interaction or sales call during the previous month. I suggest to them that even the most cringe-worthy of recent impressions can likely be (at least somewhat) salvaged the next time you interact with that person.

The $1.7 billion-asset company announced late Tuesday that North American Financial Holdings Inc., led by former Bank of America Corp. executive Eugene Taylor, would invest $175 million in the company so that it can shore up its undercapitalized bank unit.

NEW YORK – Actors FCU has signed with Allpoint Network, a unit of Cardtronics, to provide branded surcharge-free access to 215 New York ATM locations, including 200 McDonald’s restaurants throughout the New York City metro area.

Solera National Bancorp Inc. in Lakewood, Colo., is getting into the mortgage business on its own. The $137 million-asset company announced Tuesday that it has begun originating residential mortgage to its customers.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta announced Tuesday that OptimumBank Holdings Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has signed an agreement to maintain financial soundness.

Most bankers agree that online lending applications can attract customers and drive up volume, but few actually offer such services.

Community bankers have been thirsting for more merger and acquisition activity, and Eastern's announcement Tuesday that it has agreed to pay $163 million for Wainwright is the second-biggest proposed bank acquisition of the year.

Portfolio Recovery Associates Inc., a Norfolk, Va. publicly traded debt buyer, today announced that a Missouri court dismissed a case filed in August 2009 by the Missouri Attorney General's office against the company and its subsidiary, Portfolio Recovery Associates LLC.

Wainwright Bank & Trust Co. has agreed to be acquired for about $163 million — twice the company's previous value — by privately held Eastern Bank Corp., merging a pair of eastern Massachusetts lenders.

The Federal Reserve Board on Monday issued enforcement actions against two community banks in New York. According to separate agreements, the $2.4 billion-asset Smithtown Bancorp Inc. and the $393 million-asset BNB Financial Services Corp. will no longer be able to declare or pay dividends without prior approval from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

All is not well in "credit union land," as insiders half-jokingly call the industry, and the challenges have prevented credit unions from taking advantage of bank stumbles.

Sheyenne Bancorp Inc. is applying for bank holding company status from the Federal Reserve to buy out a bank in North Dakota. Sheyenne would become a subsidiary of First Holding Company of Park River Inc., which filed the application with the Federal Reserve June 22.

Despite analysts' skepticism, it appears Banner Corp. of Walla Walla, Wash., is advancing in its attempts to raise capital. The $4.6 billion-asset company announced late last week that it would sell 75 million shares of common stock at $2 a share.

After its long-running merger talks collapsed in March, Republic First Bancorp Inc. in Philadelphia today finds itself in a more fortunate position than many banks — it has a Plan B.

For most lenders, making changes to credit policy is not an easy or expedited process. It often takes financial institutions at least nine months to develop, test and deploy a credit risk policy concept and more likely this process is somewhere closer to 12 to 18 months.

A federal court has halted an international scheme that used identity theft to place more than $10 million in charges on consumers’ credit and debit cards.

Fox Chase Bancorp Inc. is one step closer to completing its conversion from a mutual to a stock company. After the conversion is completed, which is expected on June 29, the banking subsidiary will have a new parent with 14.55 million shares of outstanding common stock.

EUGENE, Ore. – Northwest Community CU said it plans to renovate the former Sapphires Mongolian Grill alongside U.S. Highway 101 as a new branch.

Three more banks failed late Friday, at an estimated additional cost to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. of $285 million.

Three more banks failed late Friday, at an estimated additional cost to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. of $285 million.