Founder Ken LaRoe says his decision to step back from daily management chores will help the Orlando, Florida-based Climate First Bancorp maintain its independence.

The reality of banking is that some customers are riskier and more labor-intensive than some banks want to tolerate. If Congress doesn't like where banks draw the line, it needs to understand what moving it will entail.

Small lenders beset by the fallout from high interest rates took losses in the fourth quarter when they unloaded underperforming securities and loans. But they are reinvesting the proceeds into higher-yielding assets.

Fairfax-based MainStreet Bancshares is pivoting to the niche business as a means to boost its Avenu banking-as-a-service platform, which has failed to hit deposit and revenue targets.

Small lenders across the country filled leadership positions, including The Peoples Savings Bank in Ohio, which promoted from within to name its first woman CEO.

Catastrophic weather events illustrate the risks and opportunities for banks.

The Rutherford-based Blue Foundry Bancorp reported an eighth consecutive quarter of red ink, but a widening margin and positive loan growth trends hint at better times ahead.

The Reno, Nevada-based buyer said it would pay $64.6 million in cash and stock for Cornerstone Community Bancorp, and it expects to close the transaction in the second half of the year.

Executives at the Wilmington Delaware-based bank are optimistic about 2025. Its results in the final three months of last year were hurt by an "isolated" incident in its 26-year-old ATM servicing business.

John Asbury, who is CEO of Atlantic Union Bankshares, said credit unions that compete head-to-head with for-profit banks should lose their tax-exempt status. He also called for bank regulation based on complexity rather than size.

Asheville, North Carolina-based HomeTrust Bancshares is pulling back from the region, selling its two Knoxville branches for an undisclosed sum. Apex will assume the branches' deposits, valued at an estimated $42 million.

Financial services providers in the region say they're ready to do their part rebuilding Southern California after a series of devastating fires. For many regional and community banks, initial fire-damage surveys identified limited impact.

The Green Bay, Wisconsin bank lost $164 million after selling $2 billion of loans and securities for a loss. Asset quality remains strong while the balance-sheet restructuring tees Associated up for a strong rebound this year, executives say.

The Bethesda, Maryland, company projects increases in loans and deposits as its C&I lending strategy gears up. Criticized and past-due loans appear to be declining even with a jump in nonperforming assets.

The Virginia-based bank said the Federal Reserve signed off on its acquisition of Sandy Spring Bancorp in Maryland. The transaction was the third-largest bank deal announced in 2024. It could be finalized as soon as April.

Mercantile Bank Corp. in Grand Rapids achieved a 20% increase in deposits in 2024, an amount that was ample enough to fund robust loan growth and scale back reliance on costlier wholesale funding.

Frontwave Credit Union said it would acquire Community Valley Bank in a deal that would expand its footprint in San Diego and nearby counties. It comes on the heels of a record year for CU-bank combinations.

The Indiana-based company grew fourth-quarter loans and profits in part because of an acquisition in Nashville, and it expects to bulk up further with a deal in Minnesota's Twin Cities that was among the largest announced in 2024.

The Chicago-based bank, which failed Friday in the first bank failure of 2025, caused a $28.5 million hit to the Deposit Insurance Fund. The FDIC was appointed receiver and Millennium Bank will assume all deposits.

A midweek rally followed robust bottom-line results from JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and several other large banks. But further interest rate cuts may be needed to sustain momentum.