The Fed may be considering more quantitative easing or keeping interest rates artificially low. That's not what leaders of small banks want to hear.

Banks have to spend money to make money and avoid overreliance on acquisitions, BB&T's CEO said in discussing plans for de novo branches and other investments.

Leaders of small banks do not want the Fed to purchase more bonds or keep interest rates low. Instead, they want the Fed stand down and let the economy heal on its own.

Associated Banc-Corp (ASBC) is eyeing acquisitions of community banks, but its chief executive says it has little interest in failed banks and would only consider deals within its existing markets.

Maryland bankers should team up and stop selling out to big, out-of-state players, says Old Line Bancshares' James Cornelsen. The choices they face say a lot about the options available to bankers across the country.

Republic Bancorp CEO Steve Trager sees a recent purchase of First Commercial Bank as an opportunity to grow in Minnesota, despite being 700 miles from Republic's Kentucky home.

Mid-America Bankshares of Baldwin City, Kan., will buy a branch from Garnett Bancshares. The deal extends a string of deals involving community banks in Kansas.

The FDIC can invest in the equity of teetering but salvageable banks. This would save money for the taxpayers, preserve banks that are worth preserving – and send a clear message about the future of community banking.

BB&T signs a 10-year deal for naming rights to the former BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., home of the NHL's Florida Panthers. It is part of the spoils from the North Carolina bank's acquisition of BankAtlantic.

National Bank Holdings in Greenwood, Colo., plans to raise up to $180.9 million after completing an initial public offering.

Broadway Bank in San Antonio is continuing its growth northward with plans to open several branches around Austin, Texas.

Old Line Bancshares has agreed to buy WSB Holdings in a deal that will combine two banks based in Bowie, Md.

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The $169 million-asset bank will buy two branches from Community South Bank in Parsons, Tenn., the Nashville Business Journal reported Monday. TriStar will assume certain deposits and assets of branches in Columbia Spring Hill from the $497 million-asset Community.

Executives at a number of smaller banks see an opportunity in lending to peers despite lingering risks that are driving large and midsize lenders out of the business.

Monarch Community Bancorp in Coldwater, Mich., is set to start trading its stock over the counter to cut costs.

Capital Bank Financial, a $7.7 billion-asset privately held bank holding company, said Monday it would raise about $250 million via an initial public offering the company first announced in June 2011.

Wall Street hopes M&T's $3.7 billion deal for Hudson City will spark a rush of mergers and acquisitions. These five banks are prime takeover targets.

Agency is reviewing exam and rule-writing policies to explore ways to make regulation more efficient for community banks.

Starting Oct. 1, issuers with effective fraud reduction strategies will be eligible to make more money off debit card transactions. To reap the benefits of the Fed's new rule, banks will need to work together.