The average checking account costs banks about $350 annually. American Banker editors break down the costs.

Federal pressure to repay Tarp aid is weighing on the minds of prospective sellers, SCBT's Hill and others say.

The wide disparity in valuations is driving the less desperate of would-be sellers to wait for a less volatile environment.

Desperate to purge their books of foreclosures, and tempted by the high price of agricultural land, some bankers and consultants predict an oncoming wave of community banks selling abandoned residential developments to buyers intent on converting the lots to farm land.

Flush with capital after raising roughly $1.1 billion in a stock sale late last year, Capitol Federal Financial Inc. in Topeka, Kan., now plans to deploy some of that capital by repurchasing up to 10% of its shares.

MutualBank in Muncie, Ind., has received regulatory approval to convert from a federal savings bank to a state commercial bank.

First Midwest Bancorp Inc. in Itasca, Ill., said Thursday that it paid $900,000 to repurchase a warrant it had issued to the Treasury Department as part of its participation in the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

ESSA Bancorp Inc. in Stroudsburg, Pa., announced early Thursday that it is buying the $421 million-asset First Star Bancorp Inc. in Bethlehem, Pa., for $24.2 million in cash and stock.

While banks are in varying stages of readiness for compliance, the FFIEC's guidance has affected smaller and regional banks disproportionately. Many must cobble together security systems from multiple vendors to make the grade.

New Century Bancorp in Dunn, N.C., has agreed to sell two of its branches to Lumbee Guaranty Bank in Pembroke, N.C.

BNC Bancorp in High Point, N.C., has agreed to buy KeySource Financial Inc. in Durham, N.C., in an all-stock deal valued at $12.2 million.

Webster Financial Corp. in Waterbury, Conn., has notified investors that it is considering raising more capital for the purpose investing in new business lines, bolstering its capital levels and perhaps making acquisitions.

The $293 million-asset Southwest Georgia Financial Corp. wants to expand in Valdosta, Ga., and other key markets.

Now that the Office of Thrift Supervision has been eliminated, First Federal Savings and Loan Association in Charleston, S.C., does not see much reason to retain its federal charter.

Umpqua and Washington Federal are enhancing their commercial real estate teams, while a recent Fed survey indicates a possible CRE rebound in 2012.

Shares of Republic First Bancorp Inc. soared Wednesday after the Philadelphia company announced that it had sold $59 million of mostly problem real estate loans to a single investor.

The most wonderful time of the year is always followed by the practice of resolving to improve in the new year. So in the spirit of the season, here are five suggested 2012 resolutions for federal policymakers.

Ohio thrift Cheviot Financial, in the process converting to 100% stock-owned company, is giving initial subscribers to its public offering the option to buy up more shares.

After a months-long internal investigation into its accounting for loan losses, Suffolk Bancorp in Riverhead, N.Y.. has restated its 2010 earnings to show a much smaller profit than first reported.

Nothing lasts forever as evidenced by the short term marriage of Hollywood stars. Differences in attitudes, status and in some cases just irreconcilable differences often cause breakups following many years of being together. One of fraying relationship is the 100 year plus association between the 6,000 plus smaller community banks and the nation's largest banks. This long standing relationship between big and small is on the rocks as the two groups have drawn apart, rarely working together or supporting one another anymore.