AUSTIN, Texas-A+ FCU is planning to site a new branch location that will serve Kyle and North Hays County. The new branch will be located in Kyle's Plum Creek Uptown District, which is part of a 2,200-acre mixed-use, master-planned community located 20 minutes south of Downtown Austin. Plans call for the 3,800 square-foot branch to open during or after 2010. In addition to its prime location in the Plum Creek development, the site is also near the Hays Consolidated Independent School District offices, Performing Arts Center and schools. The Plum Creek development is designed to integrate retail, mixed-use and office space into a walkable, pedestrian-friendly town center, which was part of the attraction for A+ FCU, the credit union said.

ST. LOUIS-Credit unions should avoid closing branches and find other ways to rein in their costs because they could end up paying for the negative message branch closures send members, say several industry experts.

CINCINATTI-Credit unions in multiple sections across the country are cutting expenses by shutting down branches and reducing positions, but these cuts may end up costing the credit union even more than they are worth, several experts warned.

RALEIGH, N.C.-Coastal FCU is on both ends of the budget spectrum for its branches as it plans to close down four underperforming branches in Q1 while installing new teller systems in its other branches.

Taylor Capital Group Inc. in Rosemont, Ill., reported a fifth straight quarterly loss Thursday, as bad loans mounted.

Frontier Financial Corp. of Everett, Wash., swung to a loss of $89.5 million, or $1.90 a share, in the fourth quarter, from an $18 million profit a year earlier.

The nation's financial crisis, and its downward effect on the value of private-label mortgage-backed securities, has suddenly thrust an obscure accounting issue into the spotlight.

Genworth Financial Inc., a Richmond, Va., insurer seeking to qualify for government capital by acquiring a troubled Minneapolis thrift, said Thursday that the deal is still on.

Hanmi Financial Corp. in Los Angeles said Thursday that it lost $3.8 million, or 8 cents a share, in the fourth quarter, as a result of higher credit costs.

In recent years Crescent Capital VI LLC has tried unsuccessfully to gain control of two community banks, but the private-equity firm may be closing in on its first success, with Cowlitz Bancorp.

Umpqua Holdings Corp. in Portland, Ore., said Thursday that its fourth-quarter earnings plunged 77% from a year earlier, to $2.2 million, partly because of deteriorating credit quality.

Midwest Banc Holdings Inc. in Melrose Park, Ill., is under new leadership.

MIDWEST

First Midwest Bancorp Inc. of Itasca, Ill., said Wednesday that its fourth-quarter loss nearly quintupled from a year earlier, to $26.9 million, or 57 cents a share, as credit quality deteriorated and the value of its investments declined sharply.

There is a reason Timothy Geithner, on just his second day as Treasury secretary, vowed to improve the approval process for banking companies seeking capital from the government.

Suburban Federal Savings Bank's hope for survival is dissipating.

If FirstFed Financial Corp. is less than well capitalized when it reports full-year earnings, regulators will require the Los Angeles thrift company to sell itself or liquidate.

Park National Corp. in Newark, Ohio, reported a fourth-quarter profit of $10.9 million, or 77 cents a share, despite higher credit losses in its Florida loan portfolio.

An activist investor known for pressuring bankers to sell their companies is threatening to wage a proxy fight against Southern Connecticut Bancorp Inc. if it fails to find a buyer soon.