Three small banks that recently waved the white flag detail why it was better to sell now, take some stock in a bigger company and stop a losing battle for capital and market share. Their proxy filings are a preview of coming attractions.

Recently, after giving a speech to a banker group that skewed rather young, the bank's head recruiter offered me a ride to the airport. Along the way, she told me that she had paid special attention during my presentation to the reactions of their newer hires in the audience.

1st Capital Bank in Monterey, Calif., said Tuesday that it has selected First Data for its online banking services.

University Bancorp Inc. in Ann Arbor, Mich., has named former Michigan state senator and one-time candidate for governor Alma Wheeler Smith as its new chairperson, replacing Charles McDowell, who died last week.

Looking to move forward after recent accounting issues forced it to restate its 2010 earnings, Suffolk Bancorp in Riverhead, N.Y., has hired Howard C. Bluver as its chief executive, succeeding J. Gordon Huszagh.

Ninety-two banks failed in 2011, well below the previous two years' totals. The list of what regulators call "problem banks" is shrinking. And the latest two bank failures were the first in nearly a month — the longest failure-free period in almost three years.

How to handle hot deposits, when to be more forgiving of delinquent customers, why health care reform could yield new opportunities, what the heck is a transaction genome, and other things for bankers to think about in the new year.

A bipartisan bill that will allow banks to appeal examination findings to an outside arbiter aims to resolve complaints that examiners are being too tough.

The idea that small business spurs job growth is a powerful, if not biblical, force in economic theory and public policy. But what if this bedrock belief about the jobs-creating power of small business and isn't true — or, at the very least, is missing a big part of the story?

Banks may have felt the need since the financial crisis hit to take a lower profile when it comes to involvement in the communities they serve. But is that the right play?

In an industry in need of new sources of revenue, some banks have built insurance brokerage operations that account for 40% or more of their total noninterest income. Most banks have not followed, however, and the business remains a minor sideline nationally.

Wall Street analysts failed to anticipate the severity of the collapse in bank earnings in 2008 and 2009, and then underestimated the strength of the rebound last year. For what it’s worth, forecasts in late 2011 registered the most skepticism over the two-year outlook in more than four years.

The past year was a mixed bag for bankers. Some found success in picking up market share, or in finally putting federal bailouts into rear view. Others encountered fresh challenges, from run-ins with regulators to the realities of a still-fragile economic recovery. With the new year sure to bring its own mix of achievements, redemption stories and trouble spots, the editors of American Banker offer 10 bank CEOs worth watching in 2012.

The Mississippi bank's purchase of software for risk-assessing and stress-testing commercial loans proved fortuitous when it bought Whitney Bank and its book of troubled real estate debt.

A recent survey indicates that a majority of banks plan to spend more on small-business IT than they did last year. Fifth Third is among those making both organizational and technological investments.

Two acquirers tied up some loose ends Friday as the yearend approached.

Despite some notable gains in 2011, for senior women bankers it was a year of two steps forward and one step back.

The former chief executive of Butler Bank in Lowell, Mass., has been banned from the banking business and fined $225,000 in connection with the thrift's failure last year.

As non-profit 501 (c) 3's around the country make a mad dash for end of the year donations, it gives me some pause for thought about the whole nature of "giving."

Umpqua Bank in Portland, Ore., has become the latest bank to be sued for allegedly manipulating the way in which it processed debit card transactions in order to rake in more overdraft fees.