Texas Dow Employees CU, one of the largest locally-owned financial institutions, is calling on Texans to shun the out-of-state and international banks that are buying up increasing parts of the local market.

Citing the possibility of regulatory orders that might impose higher capital requirements, three West Coast banking companies are moving forward with stock offerings.

Credit unions are widely expected to be subjected to the proposed consumer financial protection agency's jurisdiction, despite lobbying to be exempted.

Instead of reporting third-quarter results as expected Tuesday, Enterprise Financial Services Corp. in Clayton, Mo., announced a delay.

Ordered by regulators to improve capital ratios at its bank unit, First Mariner Bancorp of Baltimore is unloading a consumer finance arm for about half of what it thinks the business is worth.

Sun Bancorp Inc. in Vineland, N.J., warned Friday that it expects to report a third-quarter provision for loan losses of $16.2 million, a 133% increase from the second quarter.

The FDIC's decision to keep secret the losing bids for failed banks – after two decades of disclosing them – is proving controversial, with reactions ranging from outrage to just plain puzzlement.

William Isaac, a former chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., says he understands why the agency might want to keep secret the losing bids for failed banks.

MIDWEST

Global Consumer Acquisition Corp., a blank-check company, said Wednesday that its shareholders had approved a deal to buy the $45 million-asset 1st Commerce Bank in North Las Vegas.

FirstFed Financial Corp. is looking to join the handful of other strugglers that have managed to woo investors in recent weeks. But as a California company chock full of option adjustable-rate mortgages, FirstFed could be the biggest test yet for the rebounding capital markets.

In the second deal using a new system for failed-bank asset sales, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said late Tuesday that four investors will receive FDIC financing to acquire a piece of Corus Bank.

As the former chief executive of Fair Isaac Corp., Larry E. Rosenberger knows a thing or two about credit risk. Now he's taking one, by extending a $500,000 loan to the cash-strapped Tamalpais Bancorp.

Beijing-based China Minsheng Banking Corp. plans to seek U.S. regulatory approval to increase its stake in San Francisco-based UCBH Holdings Inc., Bloomberg News reported Monday, citing two unnamed people briefed on the matter.

Frontier Financial Corp. of Everett, Wash., is scrambling for capital again, after announcing Monday that its lifesaving deal with a blank-check company had fallen apart.

Frontier Financial and SP Acquisition Holdings terminated their July merger deal after failing to obtain regulatory approvals in time to complete the deal by a Saturday deadline.

Addison Avenue FCU has launched an "Intervention Center" as part of its new campaign that forcefully tells consumers CUs are a better option than banks, as evidenced by the motto "Friends Don't Let Friends Use Big Banks."

State and federal regulators shut three banks late Friday — $538 million-asset Warren Bank in Michigan, $56.3 million-asset Jennings State Bank of Spring Grove, Minnesota and $39.5 million-asset Southern Colorado National Bank in Pueblo — bringing this year's failure total to 98.

For the industry's entrepreneurs, buying a small depository, rather than building one from scratch, has gone from the exception to the rule.

State and federal regulators shut three banks late Friday — $538 million-asset Warren Bank in Michigan, $56.3 million-asset Jennings State Bank of Spring Grove, Minnesota and $39.5 million-asset Southern Colorado National Bank in Pueblo — bringing this year's failure total to 98.