Click here to see the top 150 community banks with the largest farm loan portfolios.

Wintrust Financial Corp. of Lake Forest, Ill., announced late Tuesday that it has raised $50 million in fresh capital through the sale of convertible preferred stock to a Chicago private equity firm.

The Office of Thrift Supervision issued guidance Tuesday detailing when it is appropriate for thrifts to suspend home equity lines of credit.

Edward Furash, the outgoing chief executive at City First Bank of D.C., has high hopes for his successor, Dorothy Bridges.

On the advice of its auditors, First Federal Bankshares Inc. in Sioux City, Iowa, took a $4.6 million charge on its pooled trust-preferred securities investments in the fiscal year that ended June 30, but chief financial officer Michael Moderski still is not sure it was the right move.

Some large banking companies have responded to rising delinquencies and falling home values by freezing or reducing borrowers' home equity lines of credit, but TriCo Bancshares Inc. is reluctant to do so.

Republic First Bancorp Inc. in Philadelphia has brought in another former Commerce Bancorp Inc. executive to help lead its planned retail expansion.

At any banking conference, you will hear the trustees of many mutual banks say they are "committed to mutuality." They may even have adopted mission statements enshrining a commitment to remain "mutual and independent" as part of the bank's definition of its own identity.

MIDWEST

Ocean Shore Holding Co. in Ocean City, N.J., announced Wednesday that it plans to convert to a fully public company.

Continuing its expansion into other Rocky Mountain states, Glacier Bancorp Inc. in Kalispell, Mont., has a deal to acquire the $146 million-asset Bank of the San Juans in Durango, Colo., for $22.7 million in cash and stock.

With 16% of its loans now nonperforming, 1st Centennial Bancorp in Redlands, Calif., said Tuesday that it has fired its president and chief executive officer, Thomas E. Vessey, and its chief credit officer, John P. Lang.

The showdown at Cape Fear Bank Corp. has ended in a compromise.

Some credit unions have expanded to serve entire cities such as Houston, Philadelphia, and Washington by having regulators declare them underserved areas, despite large enclaves of wealthy residents.

Alaska Pacific Bank is done sharing loans with large groups of other banks.

The battered student lender First Marblehead Corp. of Boston announced Monday that it received a $132.7 million cash infusion and brought back co-founder and former chief executive officer Daniel Meyers to help make the company profitable again.

Peoples Community Bancorp Inc. in West Chester, Ohio, reported its eighth loss in as many quarters.

The only two banking companies based in Shreveport, La., have called off their acquisition deal after the buyer failed to raise enough money in a stock offering to fund the purchase.