OceanFirst Financial in Toms River, N.J., has agreed to buy Cape Bancorp in Cape May Court House, N.J.

Consumer credit is better than ever before, even as Americans households have started levering up. But the big question for banks looking to re-commit to consumer lending is how.

Banking industry officials hailed changes Tuesday to a Financial Accounting Standards Board rule that they have long complained unfairly distorts banks' quarterly earnings.

Community Shores Bank Corp. in Muskegon, Mich., has raised about $5.3 million and has been released from an enforcement action.

Grant Bancshares in Natchitoches, La., has acquired Bank of Ringgold in Louisiana.

Four Oaks Fincorp in Four Oaks, N.C., has appointed Lisa Herring chief operating officer of the company and Four Oaks Bank & Trust.

Oak Valley Bancorp in Oakdale, Calif., has promoted Jeff Gall to chief financial officer. Gall had been the vice president of finance and accounting.

The number of locally owned banks in Westchester County has shrunk from 25 institutions in the 1970s to just four today. PCSB, which moved its headquarters to the county after buying a local bank, hopes to settle in quickly.

Banks have made changes to overdrafts, such as lowering fees offering clearer explanations. They better, as the CFPB will soon offer new rules for overdrafts. Plus, overdraft revenue has declined at many banks. Still unanswered is the question of how to offer short-term credit, if overdrafts disappear.

Riverview Financial in Harrisburg, Pa., has completed an acquisition that it had shelved last summer.

Sierra Bancorp in Porterville, Calif., has agreed to buy Coast Bancorp in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

If impending rules on overdraft protection go too far, banks could intentionally pull back on providing the service to illustrate just how useful it is.

A lot of bank boards have a big knowledge gap when it comes to technology. A recent Accenture study found that, of 109 large banks globally, more than 40% did not have a single board member with a technology background. And the situation is even more worrisome at small banks.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is important, but it barely scratches the surface of former House Financial Services Committee Chairman Michael Oxley's impact on banking.

Bank consolidation turned a corner last year as more large banks became comfortable returning to M&A. A panel of investment bankers believes that trend will continue in the coming year.

AmeriServ Financial in Johnstown, Pa., and Provident Bancorp in Amesbury, Mass., are the latest community banks to announce plans to exit the Small Business Lending Fund.

A large investor in Old Point Financial is looking to gain a seat on the Hampton, Va., company’s board.

Thomas O'Brien made good on a 2015 promise to turn a profit in every quarter. This year, his goal is to stay profitable to earn back a deferred-tax asset that should meaningfully increase the New Jersey company's valuation.

The presidential race is likely to overshadow most political events in 2016 as the first primary states begin voting in February. Accordingly, many of the people on this list are candidates who could win the presidency in November, or at least have the chance to shape the outcome. But there are also some guaranteed players already in place whose actions will help shape banking policy in the year to come. Here are the top 10 to watch.

Unlike the bargain-heavy aftermath of the crisis, acquisitions during the recovery have been hampered by high premiums and unsatisfactory returns.