Banks looking to improve their sales should follow a simple rule of thumb: the more friendly, casual chats staffers have with current and potential customers, the more business they create.

After it all but stopped making real estate and development loans following the housing crash, Farmers & Merchants Bank has increased its real estate loans by more than 61% over the last two years. It's a figure that's likely to keep rising as California's real estate market heats up and the $5.6 billion-asset bank continues to add commercial real estate, construction and mortgage lending specialists to keep pace.

BB&T in Winston-Salem, N.C., has provided five top executives with nearly 3 million reasons to successfully integrate Susquehanna Bancshares in Lititz, Pa.

Citizens Financial in Mansfield, Pa., has agreed to buy First National Bank of Fredericksburg in Pennsylvania.

ConnectOne Bancorp in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., has issued $50 million in subordinated debt and intends to exit the Small Business Lending Fund program.

Equitable Financial in Grand Island, Neb., said its depositors and stockholders have approved its plan to convert from a mutual thrift to a fully stock-owned company.

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators on Tuesday unveiled a much-anticipated tool meant to help institutions assess their own cybersecurity systems.

The agency's Semiannual Risk Perspective pinpointed compliance and operational risk as potential problems for big banks while it outlined a different set of challenges for midsize and community banks.

Nationwide Bank in Columbus, Ohio has created an online car loan service that allows consumers to secure financing and insurance and shop for a car purchase.

The South Dakota company will soon be completely independent from National Australia Bank. The plan for now is to produce consistent results while scouting deals as the bank nears a key regulatory threshold.

California Republic Bancorp in Irvine has securitized and sold $390 million in notes backed by prime automobile loans.

Clearinghouse CDFI in Lake Forest, Calif., has acquired Arizona MultiBank Community Development, a community development financial institution that operates in the Southwestern U.S. and on Native American reservations.

Meta Financial Group in Sioux Falls, S.D., parent of MetaBank and Meta Payment Systems, is raising capital to fuel a future acquisition, and has renewed a significant prepaid card issuing relationship with NetSpend.

Hanmi Financial in Los Angeles has a new look for its retail bank.

Equal-opportunity small business lending can go a long way toward helping minority groups rebuild the wealth lost during the Great Recession. The CFPB has delayed implementing reporting requirements that could close the credit gap for far too long.

The Bancorp in Wilmington, Del., again delayed the filing of its annual report after it found $24 million in additional loan losses that should have been reported in earlier periods.

The NCUA is considering a plan that would let credit unions count certain forms of debt as capital. The plan, which would help credit unions book more loans, is drawing sharp rebukes from the banking industry.

Xenith Bankshares in Richmond, Va. has issued $8.5 million in subordinated debt and plans to use the proceeds to exit the Small Business Lending Fund.

Community West Bancshares in Goleta, Calif., has filled a board vacancy with James Lokey, a former chief executive of several California community banks.

Community Bank Shares of Indiana in New Albany has changed its name to Your Community Bankshares.