Ending the separation of banking and commerce would open the door to dangerous concentrations of power and influence, and would threaten financial and economic stability as well as access to credit for consumers and Main Street businesses.

Investors seemed to agree with CEO Barry Sloane's argument that strong earnings will outweigh a jump in nonaccrual loans.

Eliminating overdraft charges is Stearns Bank's latest move to limit fees that its customers pay. CEO Kelly Skalicky says deposit service fees aren't a good business model.

President Donald Trump's proposed budget would nix funding for Community Development Financial Institutions in minority-heavy areas while expanding it for rural areas.

Acquiring Country Club Bank would give Omaha-based FNBO 30 branches and nearly $3 billion of deposits in one of the Midwest's biggest markets.

First Savings Financial Group could have bailed out of SBA lending after the departures of key executives and loan officers. Instead it retooled the unit, and it's now reaping the benefits.

The all-cash deal would solidify the $50 billion-asset regional bank's position in the fast-growing Lone Star State and offer double-digit earnings accretion.

The acquisition of the $5.7 billion-asset HarborOne Bancorp would be Eastern's third purchase of a Boston-area bank in the last five years.

Credit unions are continuing to buy community banks, although at a slower pace than in 2024.

BCB Bancorp in Bayonne, New Jersey, swung to an $8.3 million loss in the first quarter due to a troubled cannabis loan. The crowded weed marketplace in the New York area is leading to tighter margins.

The Evansville, Indianapolis-based company now expects to complete its $1.4 billion acquisition of Bremer Financial in Minnesota on May 1, instead of mid-year.

The Sunshine State deal comes following a banner year for credit union-bank combinations, despite pushback from community banking advocates.

MainStreet Bancshares in Fairfax has closed its banking-as-a-service subsidiary after the unit fell far short of meeting its revenue and deposit targets.

Nashville-based FB Financial announced the opening of a new office in Asheville, North Carolina, a week after striking a $381 million deal for an Alabama-based community bank.

The Seattle-based company, which had made home loans for more than a century, announced it was quitting the mortgage business in January. It booked nearly 400 small business loans in the first quarter and expects that total to grow as its team gains traction.

The U.K. challenger bank's Engine tech unit has registered in Delaware and will soon begin hiring a small staff on the East Coast. It faces the stiff challenges all new core banking software providers face in this country.

Just as two North Carolina universities have dominated college basketball in recent decades, two banks from the Tar Heel state have dominated much of U.S. banking since 1990, turning Florida, especially, into a "banking colony."

A former TD Bank employee pleaded guilty to a felony in connection with a check-fraud scheme; EWA provider DailyPay filed a lawsuit against New York Attorney General Letitia James; First Citizens BancShares ended the shared-loss agreement it made with the FDIC after acquiring Silicon Valley Bank; and more in this week's banking news roundup.

Despite dire warnings of catastrophe, the deregulation of surface transportation in the 1970s delivered huge benefits to consumers. The banking industry is ripe for a similar regulatory restructuring.

Federal Reserve Gov. Michelle Bowman has been a crucial ally for community banks. With her impending rise to regulatory vice chair, small banks worry about losing their direct access to the Fed's board of governors.