In a speech to a large group of bankers late last year, industry veteran Rick Hartnack, now a vice chairman of U.S. Bancorp, was clearly trying to stir the pot.

With bank losses from identity theft continuing to mount, bankers in Colorado are leading an effort that would put them on the front lines in the ID-theft fight.

NBC Capital Corp. in Starkville, Miss., has joined the list of banking companies to announce plans to enter the fast-growing Florida market.

Susquehanna Bancshares Inc. of Lititz, Pa., said that the annual report it submitted last week to the Securities and Exchange Commission was filed prematurely, before a management review and independent audit could be completed.

Republic First Bancorp in Philadelphia is seeking a New Jersey charter so it can open branches in the state.

Already operating under a consent order that requires it to improve its lending practices, First National Bank of Brewster, Minn., was hit with a second order for failing to keep proper records.

Robert L. McGoffin is preaching his own brand of gospel to bankers: Pennies really do add up.

ServisFirst Bank in Birmingham, Ala., opened its doors less than a year ago and already it ranks among the Southeast's fastest-growing start-ups ever.

Pulaski Financial Corp. in St. Louis has appointed three new directors, including a new chairman for its audit committee.

Rabobank Group had no choice but to hold its tongue as its deal for a large Farm Credit System lender was unraveling in late 2004, but the Dutch banking giant is no longer keeping its opinions to itself.

Robert L. Johnson's plan to acquire an ailing, one-branch thrift in Orlando and build it into the nation's largest black-owned banking company would create a formidable competitor for the handful of other companies that harbor similar ambitions.

Nara Bancorp Inc. named its chief operating officer as its interim president, and a former California bank commissioner as a director.

In an ordinary year the Louisiana Bankers Association might lobby for a dozen or so bills during the state legislative session.

Park National Corp. of Newark, Ohio, is eyeing an expansion into neighboring Kentucky.

After years of planning and discussion, 12 credit unions affiliated with the insurance giant State Farm have applied with federal regulators to merge into a single credit union.

AmericasBank in Towson, Md., has raised $11 million in a secondary offering and moved its stock's listing from the OTC Bulletin Board to the Nasdaq.

North Fork Bancorp. Inc.'s deal with Capital One Financial Corp. had a predictable effect on New York-area banking companies Monday: sharp rallies in shares of names frequently mentioned as possible sellers.

Loan demand is showing no signs of abating in fast-growing western markets, where bankers say their challenge is to attract enough deposits to keep pace.

UCBH Holdings Inc. in San Francisco announced Monday that it had named banking veteran George A. Baker Jr. a senior vice president and regional director of its Pacific Northwest region.