Congress is afraid to tackle this complicated and contentious issue, but the market badly needs positive signals from our lawmakers that provide certainty about the future of housing finance.

Big banks are ceding more of the consumer market to small banks, says John Romano, the new No. 2 executive at Amalgamated Bank in New York.

QCR will pay roughly $20.1 million in cash and stock for the $290 million-asset Community National. The consideration is 70% stock and 30% cash. The companies expect to complete the deal in the second quarter.

Minden Bancorp (MDNB) in Minden, La., is set to begin its third repurchase plan since becoming a public company two years ago.

WASHINGTON — Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson and Sen. Mike Crapo, the top panel republican, wrote to regulators on Wednesday urging them to weigh concerns by community bankers on pending Basel III capital and liquidity rules.

Citizens First (CZFC) in Bowling Green, Ky., is nearly two-thirds of the way to exiting the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Move over, Wintrust. MB is poised to end its three-year hiatus from dealmaking.

Scott Bauer was the North Carolina company's CEO from its creation to its sale last fall to Capital Bank Financial.

CEO John Kanas is letting rivals know in advance that he's coming to New York — and that he's targeting their employees.

CoBank in Denver is giving $5 million to fund agricultural research and education at land grant universities nationwide.

The deal announced Tuesday follows the collapse of the bank's planned merger with C1 Bank.

Cullen/Frost Bankers in San Antonio plans to raise $150 million by selling preferred stock.

Retail banks must start innovating, improve integration across channels and consider charging fees for services to maximize their return on investment.

Lawmakers were sharply divided on President Obama's brief remarks regarding the housing market during his State of the Union address Tuesday night.

Ocwen Financial (OCN) is selling off parts of a company it recently purchased and another it expects to buy soon.

OptimumBank Holdings in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., has hired a veteran banker as its chief executive. The $150 million-asset company said Tuesday that it had hired Timothy Terry.

ConnectOne had a strong IPO on Tuesday, giving it more funding for loans and acquisitions.

The Freedom Bank of Virginia is planning to cash in on the anticipated consolidation of government contractors.

Quick decision-making, cash on hand and dedicated employees are musts for successful buyers of loan pools, experts said in analyzing CIT's recent purchase of $1.2 billion of loans.

Smaller banks have historically shied away from equipment finance because it requires a lot of expertise that typically has an up-front cost. But a desire to book assets at higher yields has made the business more attractive, industry experts say.