Year to date through Sep. 30, 2018. Dollars in thousands.

Our Best in Banking honorees for 2018 share some of the smartest bits of advice and blows from the school of hard knocks that they've received over the years — and who (or what) supplied them.

Its bid for El Dorado Savings wasn’t the highest, but PacWest's image as a skilled dealmaker added value to its offer in the seller’s eyes.

Her guidance of a former credit union through the crisis and into a profitable bank, her advocacy for reg relief and other industry priorities, and her vocal support of women seeking to knock down many of the same workplace barriers she faced make her one of our Best in Banking honorees.

Building alliances with startups is the most affordable route for community banks that want to offer innovative services, but industry officials cautioned that they must be balanced with smart internal investments, too.

Faciam Holdings will pay nearly $68 million for Summit Bancshares.

The Federal Savings Bank is trying to persuade a judge to look beyond its CEO's alleged complicity in a fraud perpetrated by President Trump's former campaign chair.

A meticulous approach to expansion, along with an ability to produce solid results while based in a slow-growth state, explains why Hageboeck is a Best in Banking honoree.

The company will pay $64 million in cash and stock for First Beeville Financial.

Through timely investments, opportunistic dealmaking and a laser focus on employee engagement, Turner has Wilmington, Del.-based WSFS on the cusp of becoming a regional power.

Michael Daly's resignation may have been precipitated by an anonymous letter last month describing the workplace as “toxic” and in dire need of change.

Stephen Gordon, who led the bank's recapitalization in 2010, is being replaced as CEO on an interim basis by former FirstMerit CEO Paul Grieg.

The Connecticut regional bank will pay $327 million for the parent of Belmont Savings Bank.

State Bank’s Evans started off his banking career by offering cold cans of soda to farmers in the field in the hopes of earning their business. Five decades on, he's widely known in banking circles for his prowess in building high-performing community banks and selling them for top dollar.

Michael Daly had been the Boston company's president and CEO since 2002. It did not say why he left.

John Corbett has known the leaders of National Commerce since he helped launch CenterState in 1999. It’s a big reason CenterState is breaking from tradition to hire those executives once it buys the Alabama bank.

Nexos National Bank would be led by Gordon Baird, a former Citi executive. A former New York banking commissioner is set to join the proposed bank's board.

The Florida company will have more than $16 billion in assets, along with increased scale in Georgia, when it buys National Commerce.

Scott Custer is set to become chairman of Dogwood State Bank, a proposed North Carolina de novo.

Bank groups are pushing a variety of proposals to delay the loan-loss rule or soften its impact. The accounting standards board has agreed to review at least one of them — but at a pace that might not be fast enough for lenders.