GREENWOOD VILLA, Colo-The only thing rarer than a strong CU television commerical is a strong CU TV commercial about shared branching.

WAYNESVILLE, N.C-Champion CU stashed money all over this town to encourage residents to come to the credit union's grand opening.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.-When flooding forced the closing of a half-dozen branches last week here, several credit unions pointed to the relief offered by having shared branches available elsewhere at which members could conduct business.

ATLANTA-Credit unions are doing a better job of not keeping their shared branch locations a "best-kept secret."

WESTBROOK, Maine-A campaign led by Synergent and Weber Marketing has helped teach Maine CU members and potential members the benefits of shared branching.

The Obama administration released a proposal on Friday to provide additional capital to community banks to make small business loans.

Four small banks totaling $730 million in assets were closed late Friday on a relatively light evening for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Four small banks totaling $730 million in assets were closed late Friday on a relatively light evening for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

New England Bancshares Inc. swung to a profit of $700,000 for its fiscal fourth quarter, compared with a loss of $1 million a year earlier, as net interest income improved and credit costs fell.

The Federal Reserve announced Friday that on May 4 it placed South Financial Group Inc. of Greenville, S.C., under a written agreement that, among other things, prevents the $12 billion-asset company from paying dividends without prior approval.

The stock of the embattled TierOne Corp. in Lincoln, Neb., has been delisted from the Nasdaq stock market and is now trading over the counter.

As a result, Gulf Coast bankers are optimistic about the potential for new business stemming from the recovery effort after the recent oil spill.

As a result, Gulf Coast bankers are optimistic about the potential for new business stemming from the recovery effort after the recent oil spill.

A federal judge in Atlanta unsealed an indictment Friday charging two former executives at Integrity Bank and a hotel developer with fraud tied to more than $80 million in loans from the Atlanta-area bank, which was seized in August 2008.

The Federal Reserve announced enforcement actions Friday against the South Financial Group Inc., moves to help maintain financial soundness at the company, according to the Fed order.

Through the first four months of 2010, the number of lawsuits filed citing Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) violations is far ahead of the record pace set in 2009, according to data from the U.S. District Courts. Consumers filed an estimated 3,262 FDCPA cases through April.

MIDWEST

Northwest Bancshares Inc. in Warren, Pa., has agreed to buy NexTier Inc. in Butler, Pa., for $20.3 million, the companies announced late Wednesday.

Integra Bank Corp. in Evansville, Ind., has a new strategy for addressing its problem assets: Get them off the books as quickly as possible.

Banks with good management should be given time to work through asset-quality issues or to acquire problem banks under current capital standards.