Banking

Simmons First (SFNC) in Pine Bluff, Ark., is reportedly in talks to buy Delta Trust & Banking in Little Rock, Ark.

Keeping ATM locator apps up to date is a challenge, especially when multiple networks are involved.

In an increasingly commoditized industry, our people can be one of the few true differentiators left. But the model that has them forever sitting in buildings that fewer and fewer people utilize makes less strategic sense each year.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. took action against eight companies and lifted orders against eleven banks in December, according to its latest monthly roundup of enforcement actions.

Central Valley Community Bancorp (CVCY) in Fresno, Calif., has named James Ford president of its bank.

Cash will be with us for years to come, but also increasingly integrated with digital technologies, says Diebold chief executive Andy Mattes. With a half-year on the job, he says his company's goal "is to own the interface between digital and physical" money.

The Senate is poised to vote on a massive, five-year farm bill this week that includes several provisions important for community bankers and agricultural lenders.

There were a lot of deals last month involving larger community banks, and prices rose nearly 60% from a year earlier. The results will only feed more of those kinds of transactions.

In a speech Monday, Shaun Donovan said a housing trust fund must be part of housing finance reform legislation, including at least $5 billion a year to preserve and increase the supply of rentals for low-income families.

TGR Financial (TGR) in Naples, Fla., has added a former bank leader to its board.

Access National (ANCX) in Reston, Va., has named a veteran banker to joins its board.

A little-noticed charge taken by Regions Financial (RF) in the fourth quarter may portend that other banks will take similar losses on such modified loans, known as troubled debt restructurings.

ATM and branch locator apps can serve a valuable purpose for consumers seeking cash in unfamiliar territory, but there are many hurdles to keeping their data current and the machines properly branded.

Maria Contreras-Sweet, selected to succeed Karen Mills at the Small Business Administration, has a background in lending to Hispanic groups and women. But bankers hope she'll focus on shifting the SBA to more online loans.

Commercial and multifamily mortgage originations will grow to $300 billion in 2014 -- a 7% increase from last year, according to the latest forecast from the Mortgage Bankers Association.

U.S. Bank is readying software for fashion brands and other companies to embed into their mobile apps in a bid to facilitate shopping through more traditional marketing channels like print. The initiative adds a wrinkle to the ways in which banks are working to innovate commerce.

Colonial Financial Services (COBK) in Vineland, N.J., has revised its third-quarter financial statements to reflect non-compliance with regulatory capital ratios.

First Bancshares (FBSI) in Mountain Grove, Mo., has completed its conversion from a thrift to a state-chartered bank.

Citigroup announced Monday a feature in pilot that lets customers check deposits, credit card balances and recent transactions on a mobile device without having to log in to the bank's app.

Old National Bancorp (ONB) in Evansville, Ind., benefited from lower expenses in the fourth quarter.