Two U.S. banks have failed so far in 2026, continuing the recent pattern of smaller lenders collapsing abruptly due to firm-specific issues. January's failure of Metropolitan Capital Bank & Trust and the early May failure of Community Bank & Trust – West Georgia both fit that mold.

The FDIC moved quickly on Friday to sell $288 million in assets Community Bank and Trust – West Georgia to Anchor Bank, but the sale announcement leaves the fate of $27 million in uninsured deposits to be determined. 

Banner Bank is poised to merge with Bank of the Pacific in an all-stock deal valued at $177 million. The two Washington-based commercial banks both have branches in Washington and Oregon.

BayFirst Financial in St. Petersburg named veteran Tampa-area banker Al Rogers as its CEO and announced an $80 million capital raise. The bank sold its SBA-lending business last year, but it's still struggling to work through problems in its legacy loan portfolio.

For the Denver-based parent company of Sunflower Bank, the first quarter of 2026 was not entirely sunny. Loans grew dramatically, but so did charge-offs, with the lender charging off two credits worth more than $10 million.

Celtic Bank is the latest large Small Business Administration lender to turn to an AI origination platform for smaller-dollar loans. Live Oak Bank, which has been piloting the same platform, says it's poised for big growth in the same segment.

In order for artificial intelligence to be useful, it has to be powered by accurate information, three community-bank executives agreed at a virtual panel hosted by American Banker.

The deposit insurance reform bill would give credit unions an on-ramp to competing for commercial accounts. A better alternative would be to reactivate the Transaction Account Guarantee program as needed.

A bank's regulatory posture is no longer fully within its own control. When a critical vendor becomes subject to new supervisory expectations, the bank's risk profile changes regardless of anything the bank itself has done.

An uptick in problem loans within the heavily scrutinized office sector pushed down share prices at Rhode Island-based Washington Trust and Bank OZK in Little Rock, Arkansas, even though both banks reported solid profits.

The South Carolina-based bank agreed to pay more than $100 million to acquire a longtime competitor in fast-growing Hall County, Georgia.

The challenge for banks is not whether to adopt AI but how to do so with discipline, judgment and a clear understanding of its limits. The history of technology firms overpromising is extensive in the banking industry.

Community Bankshares in Lagrange ran afoul of regulators after announcing a major expansion of its government-guaranteed lending operation in 2025.

In a strategic shift, the Walnut Creek-based company has tapped a trio of former PacWest executives to fill its top three management positions.

Oil rights can be a surprisingly illiquid asset. A fintech called Frontlands is hoping to change that by offering a credit card for the owners of oil wells and other natural resources.

Organizers of the Winter Park-based Portrait Bank said they exceeded their capital-raise target by a wide margin, clearing the path for a June soft launch.

Hope Bancorp's acquisition of a business that serves Japanese companies should complement its historic focus on Korean business owners.

The bank's planned $142 million acquisition of Affinity Bancshares comes as war-related uncertainty appears to have slowed the industry's appetite for mergers.

American Banker is accepting applications for the Best Banks to Work For program. The annual ranking, which is now in its 14th year, is a showcase of banks that prioritize strong employee engagement, a positive corporate culture and plenty of employee support.

Carter Bankshares in Martinsville, Va., sold more than $200 million of loans made to companies controlled by Sen. Jim Justice and his family, closing out a once close relationship that later descended into rancor and litigation.