Small towns, in which community banks are disappearing, have increasingly little to offer nascent businesses in the way of reliable credit.

The smallest banks made up more than half of American Banker's Best Banks to Work For ranking this year.

Two dozen institutions fell into this midtier asset category for American Banker's Best Banks to Work For ranking this year.

Eleven institutions with at least $10 billion of assets made American Banker's Best Banks to Work For ranking this year. Read on to see who made the cut.

The pressures and frustrations of daily work lose some of their ability to aggravate when you consider how much real choice you have in the matter.

The Champaign, Illinois-based company said it would pay $41.6 million to acquire Merchants and Manufacturers Bank Corp., which has five branches in the Greater Chicago area.

Young adults exiting the foster care system often lack the documents and relationships they need to engage with financial products early on. Some advocates, including many in the Texas Legislature, are working to change that.

Bankers are hopeful that several factors could strengthen profits next year, including higher loan demand and more stable funding costs as the Fed holds the line on — or even lowers — interest rates.

This year 90 banks made American Banker's 11th annual Best Banks to Work For ranking. The leaders of these institutions explain what it takes to be an employer of choice.

West Plains Bank and Trust in Missouri, No. 11 on this year's Best Banks to Work For ranking, wins high marks for constructive training, employee development, team culture — as well as excellent benefits.

The financial institutions in American Banker's Best Banks to Work For ranking are skilled in hiring new talent and ensuring those employees want to stay.

Gov. Jim Justice alleges that Carter Bancorp engineered a technical default on a multi-million lending relationship and has blocked his company's efforts to refinance with other lenders. The lawsuit extends a dispute that started after the death of the bank's founder in 2017.

The agency's insistence on churning out new requirements — even as courts question its constitutionality — is harming the very consumers it purports to help.

OFG Bancorp's CEO José Rafael Fernández has weathered tough times during Puerto Rico's economic downturn. Now he is hopeful that his bank can seize on the better times ahead.

The $7.7 billion-asset federal credit union in East Lansing announced its third deal in as many months — the planned purchase of in-market peer Gabriels Community Credit Union. And it has two bank acquisitions pending.

The deal for SimplyBank, scheduled to be completed in the second quarter, would give First Financial in Terre Haute, Indiana, additional branches in Tennessee and its first presence in Georgia.

Los Angeles-based Lendistry — in less than two years — became the largest Black-run 7(a) lender. Its CEO credits a concerted effort by the Small Business Administration to reach out to minority lenders and businesses, whose participation in the lending program is growing.

Proceeds from the sale provide the bank with "flexibility to evaluate and pursue various strategic initiatives to redeploy capital in support of our core banking business," Evans CEO David Nasca said.

A.E.A. Federal Credit Union in Yuma said it would acquire West Valley National Bank in a bid to expand into Phoenix and Las Vegas.

Many banks tapped the brakes on mergers and acquisitions this year amid economic and regulatory challenges. But executives at banks with a history of dealmaking say conditions could be right for them to return to buying mode next year.