Retail & Commercial

Keith Wilton previously served as an executive vice president at Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, which is now owned by UnionBanCal. Before that, he was president of the specialty finance group at Greater Bay Bancorp, which was sold to Wells Fargo (WFC) in 2007.

An investment firm in North Carolina has raised its stake in Republic First Bancorp (FRBK) in Philadelphia.

Mergers and acquisitions have gained steam in early 2014. Here is a rundown of the whole-bank deals, shedding of noncore businesses and swapping of securities so far this year.

Home Federal Savings Bank in Rochester, Minn., has been freed from a supervisory agreement with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Vibra Bank in Chula Vista, Calif., has hired a president and chief executive.

A South Dakota lawmaker has proposed a bill he hopes the state's legislature will pass to put restrictions on short-term payday loans.

First Financial Holdings (SCBT) in Columbia, S.C., is planning to change its name for the second time in as many years.

CVB Financial (CVBF) in Ontario, Calif., has agreed to buy America Bancshares in Newport Beach, Calif.

Bangkok Bank Public Co. Ltd. hopes to take advantage of Thailand's easy financial infrastructure to enable a number of new payment options, such as cross-institutional person-to-person payments made from a mobile phone or an ATM.

The future of bank M&A took clearer shape in 2013. A certain kind of deal, the merger of equals, rose to the fore and that momentum has carried into 2014. The trend coincides with a change in dealmaking styles. Buyers used to win banks in pricey, unpredictable auctions. Now they have to be friendly masters of the negotiating table, and often have to conduct patient talks over an extended period of time. It all sounds very friendly, but it's hard to do.