Astoria Financial (AF) in Lake Success, N.Y., is planning to redeem $125 million in debt.

Century Bancorp (CNBKA) in Medford, Mass., reported higher first-quarter results from lower credit costs and securities gains.

WICHITA, Kan. — A federal judge here yesterday dismissed the majority of $590 million of securities claims brought by NCUA against Credit Suisse Securities in the 2009 collapses of U.S. Central FCU and WesCorp, dealing the credit union regulator another defeat in its efforts to recoup losses for the biggest credit union failures ever.

First Farmers Financial in Converse, Ind., has agreed to buy most of Bank of Indiana.

A securities law firm has filed a class-action suit to halt Renasant's acquisition of First M&F Corp.

Sterling Bancorp; Provident New York Bancorp

Credit unions are picking up auto lending share from the big banks.

Bankers pointed to still-tepid credit demand as lending lost momentum in the first quarter, and worries over deteriorating standards and pricing.

David Rom, who helped found the $156 million-asset bank in 2006, stepped down as CEO on April 1, according to a report published Tuesday in the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. He was replaced by Tom Jacobson, who was the bank's chief operating officer.

What's the most inane complaint your bank has ever received?

A lack of communication allowed a number of banks to use funds from the small-business lending program to pay dividends or exit Tarp, Christy Romero wrote in a report issued Tuesday.

A spike in stock prices and lingering capital concerns should make bankers wary of buying back shares in the near term.

There were more deals announced in the Midwest than in any other U.S. region last year.

Uwharrie Capital Corp. (UWHR) in Albemarle, N.C., has repaid more than three-fourths of the money it took through the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Mainstream banks have shied away from loans on manufactured homes because of high default rates, but a nonprofit group is asking them to take another look at the niche.

As regulatory scrutiny of third-party vendors is increasing, banks must improve their research and monitoring of the business they outsource.

Midwest BankCentre in Lemay, Mo., has warned its customers of a security breach, possibly involving its third-party vendors.

An honest debate over our "too big to fail" problem and a sound policy response are incompatible with a wait-and-see approach to the laws already on the books.

Charter Financial Corp. in West Point, Ga., has converted to a fully public company.

A provision that would raise capital standards at both small and large banks could potentially hamper the legislative effort to break up the biggest institutions.