CVB Financial (CVBF) in Ontario, Calif., has agreed to buy America Bancshares in Newport Beach, Calif.

The future of bank M&A took clearer shape in 2013. A certain kind of deal, the merger of equals, rose to the fore and that momentum has carried into 2014. The trend coincides with a change in dealmaking styles. Buyers used to win banks in pricey, unpredictable auctions. Now they have to be friendly masters of the negotiating table, and often have to conduct patient talks over an extended period of time. It all sounds very friendly, but it's hard to do.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency plans to release Associated Banc-Corp (ASBC) in Green Bay, Wis., from a February 2012 consent order.

First Security Bank of Malta in Montana has been freed from a prompt corrective action issued by the Federal Reserve Board.

Banks are preaching the importance of getting low-cost deposits on their books now, ahead of new Basel liquidity rules, and the impending rise of interest rates.

These deals are hard to put together but are well worth it -- if management teams can get through the problems of working together. Sterne Agee's Michael Barry and Daryle DiLascia explain.

Baltimore County Savings Bank's 16 branches will officially open next week as branches of First National Bank of Hermitage, Pa.

Buyers used to win banks in pricey, unpredictable auctions. Now they have to be friendly masters of the negotiating table.

The California company ended three years of loan runoff after expanding into San Diego and adding managers for its agribusiness, construction and mortgage operations. What it would really like to do next is find the perfect acquisition.

Community banks are facing mounting competition from bigger companies, regulators and consulting firms as they try to staff up in their compliance departments. American Banker editors discuss how small banks can compete for the best compliance personnel and what they should be looking for in potential new hires.

Bond Street Holdings in Weston, Fla., plans to close four of the 25 branches it acquired from Great Florida Bank in Miami Lakes.

The former bank analyst is striking out on his own after shutting down an investment firm he co-founded with banker Vernon Hill.

There are plenty of reasons why small banks may be reluctant to amp up their social media presence. But this week's bad weather illustrates how these platforms can provide a real value-add.

Douglas Biddle has succeeded Denise Portmann as CFO at Bank of the Pacific, the $705 million-asset company said in a press release Thursday.

First Trust in New Orleans has been freed from a written agreement with the Federal Reserve Board.

North Shore Bank in Peabody, Mass., has agreed to merge with Saugusbank in Saugus, Mass.

Peoples Financial Services in Scranton, Pa., reported a fourth-quarter loss tied to its merger with Penseco Financial Services. The $1.7 billion-asset company lost $2.8 million in the quarter, compared to Penseco's $2.7 million in profit a year earlier.

United Bancorp in Martins Ferry, Ohio, said its chief executive is stepping aside and that his son will take over day-to-day management.

West Virginia's City Holding is content to have loan officers drive several hours to pursue lending opportunities rather than relying on aggressive M&A. Part of the approach is tied to lessons learned from a risky strategy that blew up on a previous management team in the 1990s.

The Credit Union National Association was recognized for its #Don'tTaxTuesday campaign, which asked supporters to tweet messages at lawmakers to protect credit unions' tax-exempt status.