Americas

Buying and selling branches is routine for a lot of banks, but it's big news at First National Bank of Dwight in Illinois.

The Houston-based institution plans to build profit into the repayment agreement for a loan, with profit replacing interest, under the model of other Muslim-based lenders.

Pacific Mercantile Bank in Costa Mesa, Calif., announced four executive promotions Friday.

The former chief executive of a Georgia community bank that participated in the Troubled Asset Relief Program was sentenced to prison and fined $3.9 million for hiding the bank's past-due loans and committing other fraud.

The Independent Community Bankers of Minnesota said Jim Amundson will be its next president and chief executive.

Nancy Shanik, who had been Citizens' chief risk officer since 2010, will retire on May 31. Malcolm Griggs will succeed her on April 1.

County Bank, the holding company for the $324 million-asset Lapeer County Bank & Trust, said in a press release that it will pay $20 million, or $27 a share, in stock for the parent of the $245 million-asset CSB Bank.

Kopernik Bank and Liberty Bank of Maryland, both mutual thrifts in Baltimore, have agreed to merge. No money would change hands given the mutual-ownership structures involved in the deal.

Green Dot reported a larger fourth-quarter loss on higher employee compensation costs and said it will book an extra $11 million in expenses to roll out a new card product.

Carolina Alliance Bank in Spartanburg, S.C., has exited the Small Business Lending Fund program.