Serving the unbanked requires a worldview that most industry insiders don't have, but truly need in order to innovate responsibly on behalf these consumers. Here are insights some companies have gleaned from spending a day as the underserved.

Regulators are barring an Alabama bank holding company from paying shareholders or incurring debt until it takes steps to improve its practices.

It's been my experience that the closing of in-store branches generates more chatter than the fact that another bank often immediately opens and prospers in those exact spaces.

Three years to the day he joined the struggling company, Joseph Campanelli handed the reins to Michael Tierney. Flagstar reported its first profit since 2008 in the second quarter, but credit issues linger.

Banks with less than $10 billion in assets are exempt from clearing and exchange trading requirements, but as derivative users they will have to post margin, keep records and amend documents.

The $15 billion-asset company said Monday it has completed its purchase of the business property lending unit of General Electric's (GE) GE Capital for $2.4 billion in cash.

Bank deals priced at or below tangible book value grew steadily in the first three quarters of 2012, and more are said to be coming as struggling banks start to turn the corner and attract buyers.

Don't focus solely on cost savings. Instead, articulate that you're willing to look at new ideas and projects to help improve margins. This will inspire managers to tap into a fresh wave of thinking.

Banks with at least $10 billion of assets saw their share of deposits increase to 74.4% at midyear from 72.4% a year earlier, the FDIC said Tuesday in its annual Summary of Deposits. Also, the number of U.S. branches and thrifts shrunk.

Matt Williams, incoming chairman of the American Bankers Association, says banks can rebound by drawing on lessons from past crises, updating business models and hiring a new generation of bankers.

David Zalman of Prosperity Bancshares has struck five deals in a little over a year. And he say he sees more opportunities than ever.

Park Sterling Corporation (PSTB) in Charlotte, N.C., said Monday it has completed its purchase of Citizens South Banking Corp. in Gastonia, N.C., for $83 million, the same day Capital Bank Financial of Coral Gables, Fla., announced the completion of its acquisition of Southern Community Financial in Winston-Salem, N.C., for $47 million.

Banks are upgrading their top executives' office space thanks to the record-low rate environment, the need for more room spurred by their rapid growth and the chance to grab the naming rights on high-profile buildings.Related Article: Suite Deals: Slow Economy Aids Banks' Office Space Projects

Returns on equity. Loans. Deposits. Those are the things that make a seller attractive — not trading multiples and capital, says Prosperity Bancshares CEO David Zalman, who has struck five deals in Texas in slightly more than a year.

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Summit Bank & Trust in Broomfield, Colo., has hired R. John Rhoades as its president and chief executive.

Prosecutors charged three men with taking part in a $100 million fraud involving the former chief executive officer of Manhattan's Park Avenue Bank, who pleaded guilty in 2010 to lying to regulators and embezzling funds.

Royal Bancshares of Pennsylvania (RBPAA) promoted three executives as the $831 million-asset company's management ranks continues to undergo changes.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has lifted a cease-and-desist order against Twin City Bank after it raised fresh capital.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has chosen Wells Fargo (WFC) as the servicing agent for its 503/504 loan program, replacing Bank of New York Mellon (BK), which had the job for the past 20 years.