Retail & Commercial

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of AmericanBanker.com articles and our social media platforms.

The $22 billion-asset Winstrust said in a press release Thursday that it will pay $30 million in cash for the parent of the $125 million-asset Foundations Bank.

First Business Financial Services in Madison, Wis., said it has hired Edward Sloane Jr. to be its next chief financial officer.

Firstrust Bank has signed a marketing deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, even though the NBA team plays in an arena emblazoned with the name of another bank — and will until 2024.

Bank chiefs should brace for a barrage of questions about economic uncertainty, if JPMorgan Chase's experience after releasing fourth-quarter results is any indication. Double-digit increases in loans and profits were not enough to stave off questions about the odds of recession, energy risks and adequacy of reserves.

Metropolitan Commercial Bank in New York has named Dale Fredston, a former general counsel at Sterling Bancorp in Montebello, N.Y., to its board of directors.

The reverse mortgage industry is optimistic after recent reforms to the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage by the FHA and newfound respect from financial planners.

Approximately half of more than 40 enforcement issues made public by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have alleged violations of the Unfair, Deceptive and Abusive Acts or Practices provision of the Dodd-Frank Act.

Diebold has launched a mobile-enabled, self-checkout concept based on its automated teller machine systems.

The inventory of homes in foreclosure fell in November to the lowest level since November 2007, according to a report from CoreLogic, a global property information company.