Northwest Bancorp (NBCT) in Spokane, Wash., has completed its redemption of preferred stock it issued to the Treasury Department under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Webster Financial (WBS) in Waterbury, Conn., has hired an executive to lead its health savings account operation.

Private equity, new regulatory costs and declining benefits from failed-bank deals are some of the big factors that will determine who buys and sells in the coming year.

George Jones, who recently retired, is proud of how the Dallas company grew while avoiding acquisitions. He believes Texas Capital can quadruple to $40 billion in assets by staying the course.

Community Bank System (CBU) in DeWitt, N.Y., will take a $6.9 million loss in the fourth quarter after selling collateralized-debt obligations and other securities in response to concerns over the Volcker Rule.

A focused strategy, executed by engaged, committed members of the board, management and staff in a culture that supports taking measured risk, sets the stage for success.

The agreement paves the way for John Palmer, a principal and co-founder of PL Capital, to join BankFinancial's board.

A retired executive at Yadkin Financial (YDKN) resigned last week in a dispute over the Elkin, N.C., company's growth strategy.

Bill Crawford seemed content to oversee slow and steady growth before agreeing to buy United Financial in a deal that will create a $5 billion-asset bank in the Northeast.

Commercial lending perked up after the government shutdown ended, though bankers are still having to cut deals on pricing to land business. Consumer lending continued to decelerate.

George Bailey has a lot to teach us about the ongoing basic risks faced by financial institutions.

United Community Banks (UCBI) in Blairsville, Ga., plans to redeem $180 million of stock issued under the Treasury Department's Troubled Asset Relief Program along with $16.8 million of other outstanding preferred stock.

Americas United Bank (AUNB) in Glendale, Calif., has agreed to buy Silvergate Capital Corp.'s lone branch in Los Angeles county.

A compilation of the year's favorite stories, as selected by the people who assigned and edited them. Picks exclude items that appear among Top Stories of 2013, as measured by audience size.

Compliance issues and regulatory worries can prevent many banks from embracing much new technology internally - especially when it comes to the tricky waters of social media like Twitter. Frank Sorrentino III, CEO of the New Jersey community bank ConnectOne, discusses why he and his bank are so active on Twitter, and why other bankers shouldn't let worries about compliance block them from being innovative.

We revisit some of the best comments readers posted to AmericanBanker.com and BankThink.com in 2013.

United Bancorp (UBMI) in Ann Arbor, Mich., has redeemed the last of its Troubled Asset Relief Program shares.

Banks got some regulatory relief in 2013 as federal regulators sharply curtailed their issuance of new enforcement actions.

Susquehanna Bancshares is doing a sale-leaseback of 30 branches to improve its capital planning. But over the long term, and more importantly to the industry overall, it could also help the bank get out of branches that may one day become obsolete.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. issued a prompt corrective action against AztecAmerica Bank in Berwyn, Ill., in November and hit two other banks with consent orders.