Sharp bookkeepers could spot a kite in progress, but, more often than not, they were too hurried to give the ledgers a second look.

Bankers Bank Northeast in Glastonbury, Conn., has hired a former Home Loan bank executive to be its next chief.

First Niagara Financial (FNFG) in Buffalo, N.Y., has reportedly reached a severance agreement with John Koelmel, who was ousted as chief executive in March.

Centier Bank in Whiting, Ind., has begun using a card-issuance system from EFT Source, a provider of turnkey card programs.

Online lenders threaten to seize dominant control of the market for small loans to small business.

Henry Holt & Co. announced a deal with Elizabeth Warren for her account of founding the CFPB, her Massachusetts Senate race and advocacy for the middle class.

Plumas Bancorp in Quincy, Calif., has exited the Troubled Asset Relief Program by repurchasing a warrant from the Treasury Department.

With a litany of bipartisan reasons to oppose FATCA, ranging from privacy and sovereignty to U.S. economic competitiveness, it is startling that the legislation has advanced as far as it has.

Old National Bancorp (ONB) in Evansville, Ind., plans to close approximately 10% of its branches in an effort to improve efficiency.

It's hard to believe but true: more than 700 banks maintained a pristine Camels 1 rating throughout the six-year period bracketing the financial crisis. New Fed research shows why.

The death of branches appears to be greatly exaggerated, but they are changing. American Banker editors discuss how two banks that are leading the way, Wells Fargo and Umpqua, are downsizing and rejiggering their bricks and mortar presence.

Customers Bancorp sold $103.5 million of common stock in a public offering.

The chief financial officer of Huntington Bancshares (HBAN) in Columbus, Ohio, has left to take the same position at KeyCorp (KEY) in Cleveland.

Chemical Financial in Midland, Mich., has filed a shelf registration that allows it to sell up to $100 million of securities over time.

Private-equity groups are looking to cash out their bank holdings given the bullish stock market and bearish outlook for banking. But few will double their money like Warburg Pincus did with its investment in Webster Financial.

A growing number of community banks are hiring consultants to negotiate core processing and IT-service contracts, which are typically among a bank's biggest expenses.

Ron Swanner, the head of South Street Financial, had talking points for every query at a tense annual meeting this week — except for, "where's the dessert?"

Regulators usually shut down banks on Friday nights to minimize disruption. However, no rule says failures have to occur on the sixth day of the week. Here is a look, in pictures, at noteworthy seizures on days other than Friday.