People's United Bank

The acquisition of VAR Technology Finance bolsters the bank's efforts to expand into new areas of lending.

The Bridgeport, Conn., company is developing a specialty in banking technology businesses. Like so many other small regionals with ambitious growth plans, it faces a tricky balancing act: how to take creative risks without getting in over its head.

People's United in Connecticut pored over all the customer data it could find to persuade customers to give the midsize bank — instead of advisory firms and investment houses — a shot at managing their money.

Five of the year’s biggest deals by value have been announced in the last two months, including some that involve regional banks that have been champing at the M&A bit.

Borrowers can get better rates elsewhere, so they're repaying ahead of schedule, leaving banks in the lurch. The steps lenders would have to take to keep the business could be prohibitively expensive.

The Bridgeport, Conn., company said that first-quarter net income climbed 52% over the same period last year to $107.9 million.

Home equity lines could double over the next six years. Some banks are actively pursuing the consumer credit opportunity, whereas many still feel stung by the housing crisis, unimpressed by home equity’s comeback so far or fearful of nonbank competition and fraud.

Even with net interest margins improving, banks are reluctant to raise rates on deposits until more floating-rate loans reprice. But how long can they wait before depositors start demanding higher yields?

So-called performance-share units are pushing aside stock options as the preferred long-term incentive pay for bank executives. Many investors and regulators fear that options can encourage reckless conduct and have other shortcomings, though options still have supporters.

People's United is taking its efforts to raise awareness of financial exploitation to a new level.