Retail & Commercial

Jefferson Bancorp in Lutherville, Md., has received regulatory approval to buy Carrollton Bancorp (CRRB) in Columbia, Md.

In an abrupt policy announcement, the Federal Housing Finance Agency declared Tuesday plans to ban force-placed insurance commissions even before its own industry review is complete.

A unit of Fentura Financial (FETM) in Fenton, Mich., has been freed from a regulatory order from Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the State of Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation.

Provident New York Bancorp wants to join forces with a similarly sized bank, KBW analyst Collyn Gilbert says. But a pool crowded with rival buyers is crimping its plans.

The troubled Metropolitan Bank Group in Chicago may be getting a lifeline from a consortium of Mexican investors, Crain's Chicago Business reported.

Interest in SBA lending has picked up as the agency works to attract more lenders and borrowers by streamlining its programs.

Pacific Mercantile Bancorp (PMBC) in Costa Mesa, Calif., has named a credit-risk consultant and former Comerica (CMA) executive to its board.

Social Finance, a San Francisco-based company that offers student loans, announced Tuesday that it has secured a $60 million line of credit from Morgan Stanley.

The Federal Reserve Board has terminated an enforcement action against East Dubuque Bancshares in Illinois and its bank.

Bankers these days face the prospect of getting penalized for everything from "disparate impact" to the actions of auto dealers and other third-party partners. That raises the question of whether such regulation is effective, enforceable or fair.