Resources

Stephen Platt, a forensic investigations consultant and author of Criminal Capital: How the Finance Industry Facilitates Crime, explains why bank directors' fear of revealing their ignorance is dangerous for financial institutions.

The hunt for scale has long been one of the chief reasons for dealmaking, but Jimmy Dunne, senior managing principal of Sandler O'Neill, says that today's operating and regulatory environment shows the true need to find efficiency through size.

The regulatory environment for small deals is improving as regulators see how consolidation can help move the industry further away from the crisis, says Jimmy Dunne, senior managing principal of Sandler O'Neill.

The number of mutuals is shrinking, but those committed to the charter still have options. Attorney Kip Weissman of Luse Gorman discusses the possibilities of charter conversions for those looking to throw in the towel and potential regulatory moves that could help the ailing charter class.