The JOBS Act opened the door for more banks to deregister from the SEC. So far, more than 60 banks and thrifts have filed to deregister less than two months after the law was signed.

Kip Weissman, partner with law firm Luse Gorman Pomerenk & Schick in Washington, says lack of options for small banks has more of them weighing whether to partner with similarly sized rivals.

Preferred Bank (PFBC) of Los Angeles has signed a memorandum of understanding with regulators after a more formal consent order was lifted.

Fitch Ratings has lowered its outlook on Trustmark Corporation (TRMK) from "stable" to "negative" following Jackson, Miss., company's announcement Tuesday that it is acquiring BancTrust Financial (BTFG) of Mobile, Ala.

After operating exclusively in Massachusetts for more than a century, United Financial Bancorp (UBNK) in West Springfield is making the leap across the state line.

The election inspector determined that the nominee for Stilwell Group was delinquent in turning in a signed master ballot, invalidating most of the firm's votes as it challenged the Renton, Wash., company.

Three years after a group of private equity firms bought BankUnited out of receivership, industry observers wonder if the deal really paved the way for other firms interested in consolidating banks.

Mutual banks and thrifts in Massachusetts have dodged a bullet — at least for now — on a proposed state law that would have subjected them to new standards on executive compensation.

The three states that have led the nation in bank failures over the last four years — Georgia, Florida and Illinois — remain home to the banks that are most in danger of failing down the road, according to new data compiled by Thomson Reuters.

Wilshire State Bank in Los Angeles has been released from an enforcement order that required it to boost its capital ratios and reduce its level of problem loans.

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Kip Weissman, partner with law firm Luse Gorman Pomerenk & Schick in Washington, says handful of shareholder spats around the country shows how more insurgent investors in small banks are "looking for a sale" to "make a nice return."

State Bank & Trust in Fargo, N.D., is changing its name to avoid confusion with the dozens of banks in its markets that have similar names.

Gerald Host, Trustmark's CEO, expressed confidence in his company's purchase of BancTrust despite some analysts' concerns about the seller's weak deposit positions in key Alabama markets.

First Financial Northwest in Renton, Wash., and Stilwell Partners are both claiming victory following last week's annual meeting. A representative for the activist shareholder has threatened a legal challenge if its nominee isn't added to the board.

The Center for Plain Language, a watchdog group, says the bank's merchant card payment-processing agreement was the worst thing written by any company, charity or government agency in the past year.

The House Financial Services Committee is set to vote on a bill that would benefit just one institutions: Emigrant Bank, whose CEO Howard Milstein has made contributions to many of the bill's co-sponsors. And people wonder why Americans are cynical about politicians.

Two directors have resigned, and the Floyd, Va., company's CEO is on administrative leave. Those departures come less than a week after a coalition of angry investors led by Douglas Schaller replaced half of the six-member board.

The Federal Reserve Board has given a Premier Bank in Denver 90 days to become adequately capitalized or sell itself.

Among the wave of community banks that have gone to market this month, 1st Enterprise Bank (FENB) was the rare bank below $1 billion of assets to sell shares at a premium to its equity.