Berkshire Hills Bancorp has agreed to acquire Rome Bancorp for about $74 million in cash and stock, as the Massachusetts bank looks to grow its presence in New York.

Nine months after proposing the idea, the Obama administration is eagerly putting into place a $30 billion small-business lending fund that is the centerpiece of its efforts to spark lending in communities across the country.

Berkshire Hills Bancorp has agreed to acquire Rome Bancorp for about $74 million in cash and stock, as the Massachusetts bank strengthens its presence in New York.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency assessed a $33 million enforcement order against Woodforest National Bank of The Woodlands, Texas, for unfair and deceptive practices in its overdraft program.

While some companies clamor to get into banking, ADB Bank, a $48 million-asset industrial loan company, last week invited its depositors to collect their money.

While some companies clamor to get into banking, ADB Bank, a $48 million-asset industrial loan company, last week invited its depositors to collect their money.

Two federal agencies Friday said they had implemented crucial provisions of the newly enacted Small Business Jobs Act that will boost small-business loan limits and allocate funding to states for small-business lending.

BankUnited in Florida said Friday that it has acquired a small-business lending platform and a municipal leasing business from two companies as a way to expand its lending operations nationwide.

EverBank Financial Corp., one of Florida's largest homegrown banks, plans to go public by raising up to $200 million of common stock, according to a registration filed Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

EverBank Financial and some of its shareholders are planning to sell as much as an estimated $200 million of stock through an initial public offering.

Fairwinds Credit Union in Orlando has renewed its membership in First Data Corp.'s Star network, making the electronic funds transfer service its preferred provider of PIN debit transaction and ATM access services.

ESSA Bancorp Inc. of Stroudsburg, Pa., has completed its second stock repurchase program, and announced another plan to buy back 5% more of its outstanding stock.

Banner Corp. of Walla Walla, Wash., has warned investors to be ready for a particularly large loss for the third quarter.

Mississippi's Cadence Financial Corp. and Trustmark Corp. seemed to be a near-perfect match. Both had competed in neighboring markets for more than a century, and their union would have created an $11 billion-asset Southeast powerhouse.

More must be done so that FIs of all sizes can compete. Those in a position to influence economic behavior should provide concrete assurances regarding the rules of engagement.

More than 550 people gathered at The Pierre to honor 2010's Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance.

A subsidiary of the American Bankers Association is offering a prepaid MasterCard Inc. program for community banks that want to issue cards.

Old National Bancorp in Evansville, Ind., Wednesday announced a deal to acquire the $850 million-asset Monroe Bancorp for $83.5 million in a stock transaction.

Cadence Financial Corp. of Starkville, Miss., on Wednesday called off its deal with longtime competitor Trustmark Corp. and instead agreed to be acquired by an investment group in Texas.

National Penn Bancshares Inc. said Wednesday that the private-equity firm Warburg Pincus has agreed to invest $150 million for a 16.4% stake in the Boyertown, Pa., company.