OceanFirst Financial in Toms River, N.J., has agreed to buy a branch office in its hometown from Provident Financial Services.

Companies miss the mark when they try to woo top talent with tantalizing perks rather than a meaningful workplace culture.

First Financial Bancorp. in Cincinnati has issued $120 million in subordinated debt and plans to use the proceeds for potential stock repurchases and to support growth.

Oak Valley Bancorp in Oakdale, Calif., has agreed to buy Mother Lode Bank in Sonora, Calif.

Even if stock losses cause the Fed to delay tightening, it won't be a catastrophe for banks' future earnings, according to a study of analysts' forecasts. Margins were not expected to balloon even if the Fed did act.

BankMobile, the fee-free, digital-only offshoot of Customers Bancorp in Wyomissing, Pa., is launching a technology development division called BankMobile Technologies.

Avadian Credit Union in Birmingham, Ala., has agreed to buy American Bank of Huntsville in Alabama.

If you want your bank to be one of the best to work for, you can pick up a lot of pointers from those in our third annual ranking.

Eagle Bancorp Montana in Helena has appointed a building contractor and real estate developer to its board.

Northfield Bancorp in Woodbridge, N.J., has agreed to buy Hopewell Valley Community Bank in Pennington, N.J.

Last year's No. 1 on our list of best places to work is this year's top scorer as well. From providing free Friday lunches to paying the full cost of health insurance, few do as much for employees as this niche lender.

Maggie Cancelino has worked in the banking industry for three decades, but says her six years with HomeBanc in Tampa have been the best. "When I go to work in the morning, I have a smile on my face," says Cancelino, manager of a branch in coastal Belleair. "We're happy, contented bankers. We're professional, but we can still have fun."

Pinnacle Financial Partners does many of the things that make for a good employer nowadays — wellness initiatives, flexible scheduling and a cash incentive plan that paid out $15.2 million to employees in 2014. It even boasts a well-attended book club.

Employee health is a priority for First Citizens National Bank. The $1.3 billion-asset bank offers free pilates classes at its on-site fitness center and reimburses gym membership costs. When its hometown of Dyersburg, Tenn., had a community "lose to win" weight-loss event last year, First Citizens paid employees' entry fees and offered additional in-house prizes.

Give Ron Samuels this: not many other bank chairmen play guitar in their institution's award-winning band.

Paragon Commercial Bank's commitment to employees is evident at its Raleigh, N.C., headquarters building. An on-site gym, buff with tread mills, ellipticals and weights, recently doubled in size. Down the hall, "Bob's Bistro" is a favorite hangout.

Mike Barnett had other jobs before coming to work for the bank his family owned and saw enough to know the hell of a bad manager.

Bell State Bank & Trust turns 50 next year, and in that time it's built a culture that knows its values and does a good job of promoting them. The Fargo, N.D., bank hosts family baseball nights, picnics and nighttime Christmas parties — all to let employees know their importance.

As chairman and chief executive of Veritex Community Bank, C. Malcolm Holland gets a kick out of the little things, like writing personalized birthday cards to employees.

It only takes three months for new hires at FNBC Bank in Ash Flat, Ark., to qualify for an enhanced paid-time-off program that gives them an extra 40 hours to use for vacation or other purposes.