A growing number of community banks are working with Farmer Mac to offer loans at lower rates, helping them compete with Farm Credit institutions.

A bank cited by regulators for lending policies allegedly favoring minorities and women over white males is proof for some of just how frustrating it is for institutions to comply with fair lending laws.

A new paper commissioned by the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, highlights risks community banks face from the Dodd-Frank Act.

Independent Bank Group in McKinney, Texas, was already a busy buyer. Now with nearly $90 million of fresh equity and a valuable stock, the bank is looking to more than double its size over the next five years.

The Federal Reserve Board has terminated an enforcement action against Greer Bancshares in Greer, S.C.

Big banks have been among the most vocal supporters of gay rights in the workplace. Many LGBT bankers laud the progress but say diversity efforts still sometimes fall short.

NexTier Bank in Butler has agreed to acquire Farmers & Merchants Bank of Western Pennsylvania in Kittanning.

Citizens Community Bank in South Hill, Va., has hired a new chief financial officer.

First National Bank Alaska in Anchorage has picked a 39-year veteran of the bank as its new president.

FNB Bancorp in South San Francisco, Calif., has partially repaid the funds it received under the Treasury Department's Small Business Lending Fund.

Shareholders of First Citizens Bancshares (FCNCA) rejected a proposal that would have limited the control of the family that has run the Raleigh, N.C., company for generations.

Other banks say small acquisitions take too much work, but Sterling Financial says a good, small deal is better than a risky, big one.

Bibb Lamar opted to join ServisFirst rather than stay at Trustmark, which acquired BancTrust in February. His team will help ServisFirst expand in Mobile, Ala.

The Independent BankersBank in Dallas has hired a correspondent-relations officer to serve community banks in Michigan and Indiana.

The CEO of UMB Financial believes the time has come to rethink branch technology, to speed service and cut costs.

Vincent Delie recently mentioned Maryland, Pittsburgh and Cleveland as target markets, though he expressed lukewarm interest in Philadelphia.

Astoria Federal Savings in Lake Success, N.Y., has hired an HSBC executive to lead its retail division.

Shareholders and regulators are on the warpath against executive compensation they regard as excessive or poorly structured. Senior bankers and directors, like their colleagues elsewhere in the corporate world, are struggling to design pay plans that encourage managers to innovate while discouraging excessive risk-taking. Further complicating the task are the sometimes competing agendas of investors and rule-makers, as well as the uncertainty surrounding the many Dodd-Frank pay rules yet to be written. Following is a look at some of hot-button items shaping executive compensation during the current proxy season.

HomeTrust Bancshares in Asheville, N.C., has agreed to buy BankGreenville Financial in South Carolina.