While it is not unusual to see a bank exhort its employees to help lobby on legislation, USAA Federal Savings Bank has taken it one step further by enlisting its 7.2 million customers.

MidSouth Community Federal Credit Union in Macon, Ga., is the latest credit union to take advantage of the growing inventory of bank branches on the market, agreeing to acquire two branches of the failed Security Bank from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Webster Financial Corp. of Waterbury, Conn., said Thursday that it recorded a $6.1 million first-quarter loss after repaying $100 million of a $400 million investment from the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

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Valley National Bancorp of Wayne, N.J., on Thursday reported first-quarter earnings fell to $27.4 million, from $37.4 million a year earlier.

Though smaller companies may still bid on individual failed banks, they may have to enlarge their bids — perhaps significantly — to compete with package buyers.

PremierWest Bancorp in Medford, Ore., narrowed losses and reduced chargeoffs in the first quarter, the company reported Thursday.

MidSouth Community FCU is the latest credit union to take advantage of a growing inventory of bank branches on the market by agreeing to acquire two branches of failed Security Bank from the FDIC.

MIDWEST

The South Financial Group in Greenville, S.C., reported Tuesday a large but narrowing first-quarter loss of $85.8 million. The $12.4 billion-asset company had lost $193.8 million a year earlier.

Sponsors of a Colorado Senate bill that would have barred the growing practice of merchants assessing surcharges on debit card transactions pulled the bill after it was amended to bar all automated teller machine surcharges.

After swinging to a first-quarter loss, PacWest Bancorp in San Diego — with a cleaned-up balance sheet — may be better poised to resume making winning bids for failed banks.

Redwood Trust Inc., (RWT) seeking to reopen the U.S. market for private-label mortgage securities, disclosed Wednesday that it plans to issue about $222 million of bonds backed by new jumbo home mortgages.

The Federal Reserve announced enforcement actions Tuesday against Ameri-National Corp. that the central bank said are meant to help maintain financial soundness at the Overland Park, Kan., company.

Community Capital Corp. in Greenwood, S.C., said its earnings jumped sharply in the first quarter as credit quality showed significant improvement.

Enterprise Financial Services Corp. of St. Louis said Tuesday that it narrowed its first-quarter loss to $3 million, from $51.8 million a year earlier, as credit costs declined but problem loans increased.

Seacoast Banking Corp. of Florida in Stuart has released to its investors $200 million in capital it was holding in escrow because it did not place the winning bid for Riverside National Bank in Fort Pierce, Fla.

While the company's purchase of the failed $237-million asset Butler Bank in Lowell, Mass., Friday wasn't the home run analysts had been anticipating, they expect more winning bids from the capital-rich People's as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. seeks institutions with experience in failed-bank deals.

Greater New Orleans FCU has launched a mobile banking and account alert service.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal sued Westport National Bank and a Wilton, Conn., money manager on Monday for "effectively aiding and abetting" a fraud by the convicted Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff.