It took the Denver company nearly a year to complete its purchase of a rival twice its size. The deal, which required raising capital to buffer against the seller's credit issues and complete a Tarp repayment, illustrates the difficulty of making small but ambitious acquisitions.

We don't need and shouldn't have one-size-fits-all regulatory policies. Community banks are different from their larger U.S. counterparts.

The Federal Reserve Board has entered into a written agreement with PNBK Sponsor that requires the Stamford, Conn., company to serve as a source of strength to its bank.

Ellie Mae's survey found that community banks still have some concerns about regulation and compliance costs. Still, they expect that a decline in competition could be good for overall business.

Shares of United Bancorp (UBCP) fell sharply Thursday after the Martins Ferry, Ohio, company announced that it was cutting its quarterly dividend in half in order to preserve capital.

Old National Bancorp (ONB) in Evansville, Ind., will sell or close 27 branches as part of ongoing efforts to cut costs.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has lifted a regulatory order against Alaska Pacific Bancshares (AKPB) in Juneau.

Aspiring bank buyers including Scott Custer of Piedmont Community Bank Holdings believe that proposed capital rules could reduce pricing and premiums for sellers.

New proposals would require appraisals for "higher-risk" mortgages, and compel lenders to notify borrowers of their right to an appraisal report. But loans meeting the special QM standard would enjoy a lighter touch.

Simmons First National (SFNC) in Pine Bluff, Ark., has outlined a succession plan as it readies for the retirement of its chairman and chief executive, J. Thomas May.

Beltway politics is hurting bank M&A, consumer confidence — but it's also time for bankers to stop opposing Dodd-Frank, says the former Obama chief of staff.

Low interest rates have allowed banks of all sizes to rotate out of time deposits and build up transaction accounts, but key differences in funding profiles persist across asset classes.

The Floyd, Va., company posted a big loss after purging its balance sheet and absorbing costs of a May proxy battle. The fight, led by Douglas Schaller, brought in three new directors and the accelerated departure of Cardinal's longtime CEO.

Home BancShares, in Conway, Ark., has agreed to pay $1.4 million for Premier Bank in Tallahassee, Fla. Premier's parent is in bankruptcy proceedings, which could spur rival bids for Premier.

Federal regulators issued proposals on Wednesday that would make home appraisals essentially compulsory in certain cases before banks can approve a loan.

The rules for mortgage servicing were written primarily for the largest players, but it is the smaller ones that will have the hardest time absorbing the costs.

EverBank's announcement this week that it has set up a division to lend to golf equipment makers is the latest example of a bank trying to distinguish itself as a niche lender. Whether banks acquire units or start them from scratch - usually by wooing away rivals' lending teams - the objective is the same: Offset weak demand for traditional business and consumer loans.

Two years after converting the preferred shares it owned in Sterling Financial (STSA) into common stock, the Treasury Department is now looking to sell those shares on the open market.