The Treasury has commenced another auction of Tarp holdings. At least banks are planning to use the auction as an opportunity to retire preferred shares that will carry a 9% interest rate in late 2003.

RENO, Nev. — Members of Sparks City Employees FCU approved the merger of their ailing one-time $16 million credit union into Great Basin FCU, the state's eighth-largest credit union.

The New York firm, formed 50 years ago, survived a tragic setback during the terrorist attacks of 2001.

The Treasury Department began to sell stakes it holds in seven banks that received bailout funds at the height of the financial crisis, continuing the slow process of winding down the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

The California company announced the opening of its first full-service U.K. branch a day after a key British official lamented in a column that European banks lack the capacity to help the nation's businesses grow.

Words like "oppressive" and "harsh" have been replace recently by terms like "fair" and "cooperative" in bankers' descriptions of how examiners are treating them. Thanks to go mostly to the improved condition of many institutions.

Georgetown Bancorp in Massachusetts has snagged two JPMorgan Chase (JPM) bankers for its mortgage origination team.

TriCo Bancshares (TCBK) of Chico, Calif., has named a former Countrywide Bank executive as its chief risk officer.

Continental Bank Holdings of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., has raised $16.5 million through a private placement.

In a rare do-over, members of Montana First CU are being asked again to approve the merger of the state's oldest credit union into Washington's Horizon CU in nearby Spokane Valley, a combination rejected by the membership in January.

The California company has a growing international operation due to its focus on venture capital and technology companies.

Regulators shuttered four banks Friday evening — totaling $676 million of assets — that combined are estimated to cost the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. about $80 million.

In interviews with two dozen bankers, regulators and outside experts, most point to a significant improvement between how bankers and examiners interact.

Activist investor Joseph Stilwell has stepped up his campaign to oust the chief executive at First Financial Northwest (FFNW) in Renton, Wash.

ServisFirst Bancshares of Birmingham, Ala., is expanding its correspondent banking business into Tennessee and Georgia with the addition of two new executives.

A number of state officials are trying to move deposits to community banks, though it is unclear if smaller institutions have the capacity or regulatory blessing needed to hold the funds.

No, the merger wave isn't here, but it has to start somewhere. Data through May 31 shows a foundation to build on once uncertainties about U.S. elections and European economy ease.

A second director at the troubled Atlantic Coast Financial (ACFC) has resigned due to concerns about how the Jacksonville, Fla., company is run.

Ameris, BancFirst and BankUnited all allowed investors to decide how often they wanted to vote on executive compensation. The results from those annual meetings might encourage other banking companies to do the same next year.

The Mississippi bank quietly cut a deal in Arkansas that could undercut class action claims in Florida and save it millions. An appeals court is reviewing the controversial legal strategy.