Retail & Commercial

The rapid growth of competition from nonbanks has the potential to hit community banks harder than the mortgage meltdown.

MainSource Financial Group in Greensburg, Ind., has agreed to buy Cheviot Financial in Cincinnati.

A federal judge who dismissed a case against two high-cost lenders suggested the outcome was unfortunate, but said her hands were tied by the law.

Entegra Financial in Franklin, N.C., has agreed to buy Oldtown Bank in Waynesville, N.C.

First Farmers and Merchants in Columbia, Tenn., plans to buy out some of its shareholders and deregister as a publicly traded company.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Monday warned that it would go after companies that automatically withdraw funds from bank accounts without a consumer's consent.

The $5.4 billion-asset WSFS said in a press release Monday that it will pay $101 million, or $21.75 a share, in cash and stock for the $651 million-asset parent of Penn Liberty Bank.

Hanmi Financial has gone public with efforts to merge with BBCN Bancorp in a move the Los Angeles company hopes will scuttle another rumored pairing.

American Chartered was also the top M&A priority for MB Financial, which was willing to pay a healthy premium to get a deal done. MB Financial, which prefers big acquisitions, will be challenged to find other opportunities in the Windy City.

The Federal Housing Administration's annual financial report demonstrates the outsize influence of reverse mortgages on the performance of its insurance fund, fueling a debate about whether those loans belong there.