Lakeland Bancorp in Oak Ridge, N.J., has agreed to buy Pascack Bancorp in Waldwick, N.J.

ASB Bancorp in Asheville, N.C., has received its second challenge in less than a month from an activist investor. The latest seeks a sale of the company.

First Foundation in Irvine, Calif., has begun an initial public offering to raise up to $100 million.

AJS Bancorp in Midlothian, Ill., has given its chairman and chief executive the additional title of chief financial officer.

Most real estate agents and home builders have heard about the new mortgage disclosures that take effect Oct. 1 but are light on the details, and many of the lenders they rely on lack sufficient understanding to help them.

A high percentage of loans to oil and gas firms are large and syndicated. As a result, more shared loans are becoming problematic for participating lenders.

Promontory Financial vowed to take the New York Department of Financial Services to court after it effectively banned the consulting firm from working on regulatory issues for banks the department supervises.

Glacier Bancorp in Kalispell, Mont., has agreed to buy Cañon National Bank in Cañon City, Colo., for $31.8 million.

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A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week, including whether independent consultants should be criminally liable for misrepresentations in their reports and whether higher rates will help or hurt banks.

An NCUA proposal to make credit unions more competitive commercial lenders is drawing fire from community bankers, who say it invites risky underwriting, unfair competition and a repeat of the thrift crisis.

Marlin Business Bank has launched a new site to compete with alternative lenders such as OnDeck and Kabbage, which specialize in providing quick and convenient access to small-business credit.

Investors Bancorp in Short Hills, N.J., reported higher second-quarter profit on expanded multifamily, commercial real estate and business lending, as well as lower expenses.

Valley National in Wayne, N.J., reported an increase in second-quarter earnings on expanded commercial real estate and business lending.

Buying Eagle National Bank would give Stroudsburg, Pa.-based ESSA an entrée into Philly's fast-growing western suburbs.

The bank plans to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes, including possible acquisitions such as potential FDIC-assisted transactions. Iberiabank may also use the proceeds for working capital and for investments in subsidiaries to support continued growth.

United Community Banks in Blairsville, Ga., has filed a shelf registration for senior notes to help pay for its acquisition of a South Carolina bank.

Financial institutions take information security concerns very seriously, but few make it a priority to keep accountholders updated on their safeguarding efforts.

ESSA Bancorp in Stroudsburg, Pa., has agreed to buy Eagle National Bancorp in Upper Darby, Pa., for $25.3 million.

Lenders have increasingly turned to niche businesses, such as equipment financing, to differentiate themselves from competitors. Some banks, like Bank of the Cascades in Oregon, are choosing complicated specialties like aircraft financing that may scare off potential rivals.