The Independent Community Bankers of America asked congressional tax writers to study whether all credit unions should continue to be exempt from paying taxes on their earnings.

Westamerica Bancorp of San Rafael, Calif., said its first-quarter earnings dipped because of a loss from the sale of securities.

Fidelity Bankshares Inc. of West Palm Beach, Fla., said its first-quarter earnings rose 19.8% from the same period last year, to $6.8 million.

When Georgia Derrico and Roderick Porter sold the Virginia bank they had run for nearly two decades, their plan was to retire and split their time between their homes in northern Virginia and southern Italy.

My friend Bob Kafafian heads the Kafafian Group of Parsippany, N.J., which advertises itself as a finance, strategy, and operations consulting firm. But having known him for two decades, I think his greatest strength is common sense.

More community banks are switching auditors as their old ones turn down their business, raise fees, or quit the account.

BankUnited Financial Corp. of Coral Gables, Fla., said Monday that its second-quarter earnings rose 13% from a year earlier, to $13.6 million.

After reporting lower-than-expected first quarter earnings Monday, executives at the acquisitive South Financial Group Inc. of Greenville, S.C., said they are swearing off more deals, at least until next year.

Texas Regional Bancshares Inc. reported Monday that its first-quarter net income rose 39%, to $23.8 million.

First BancTrust Corp., of Paris, Ill., announced Monday that it has agreed to acquire Rantoul First Bank for $4.2 million in cash.

Earnings season is still young, but last week’s reports make it clear some banking companies are finding deposits harder to come by and are either paying more for them or going to the wholesale markets to fund loans.

FFLC Bancorp Inc. of Leesburg, Fla., said Friday that first-quarter earnings increased 29% from a year earlier, to $2.3 million.

First Niagara Financial Group Inc. in Lockport, N.Y., reported a 77% jump in first-quarter earnings from a year earlier, to $21.1 million, largely because of its Jan. 14 purchase of Hudson River Bancorp.

WASHINGTON — Proposed legislation that would eliminate a significant obstacle to credit union consolidation went unopposed during a House subcommittee hearing last week.

PrivateBancorp Inc. of Chicago is buying Bloomfield Hills Bancorp Inc. in Michigan for $64 million in cash.

Houston's Prosperity Bancshares Inc. said Friday that first-quarter earning rose 31% from a year earlier, to a record $10.6 million - the first time its quarterly profit exceeded $10 million.

Two acquisitions last year helped boost first-quarter earnings at the $2.8 billion-asset First Community Bancorp of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

Republic Bancorp Inc. of Louisville reported Thursday that its first-quarter net income rose 20% from a year earlier, to $13.3 million.

Hudson United Bancorp in Mahwah, N.J., said Thursday that it would post earnings of 66 cents a share when it releases its first-quarter results April 25.

Call it the Commerce effect.