A small Austin, Texas, bank, formerly called Libertad, had to abandon its initial plan to target unbanked Hispanics. But it has made the most of its second chance by finding a niche in lending to real estate investors. Now it's looking to diversify.

The Sunshine State is once again outgrowing the rest of the country and some of its community banks are eager to become the state’s next flagship. Florida has changed a lot since the old Barnett Bank held that title, and so has banking. But now its thriving homegrown contenders aim to reshape the fragmented banking landscape, which is dominated by out-of-state rivals.

First BanCorp in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has agreed to sell about $200 million in nonperforming loans and other assets to improve credit quality.

The Dallas investment group completed its tender offer for Mechanics Bank last month, culminating a three-year hunt for a target to serve as the base of its roll-up strategy. With that piece in place, the company is looking to buy other banks in northern California

State Bank Financial in Atlanta reached an agreement to end its loss-share agreements for 12 failed banks that it acquired during the financial crisis.

The best-performing banks are those that continue to invest in growth, rather than those that fixate on containing expenses, writes Capital Performance Group's Kevin Halsey.

Higher loan demand is helping banks and thrifts with $2 billion to $10 billion of assets improve their profitability. Of the 191 institutions that qualified for our mid-tier ranking this year, 40% posted a three-year average return on equity in the double digits, up from 34% in our previous ranking.

MasterCard issuers had to cast at least 90% of their votes in favor of the Target settlement by May 20, and not enough did, the companies said. Banks and credit unions will fight for a better deal.

Carolina Bank's growth, and a corresponding increase in remote workers, drove the CEO and IT department to seek technology tightening access to its systems without making it harder for employees to log in.

An obscure provision in the regulatory relief bill championed by Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., is giving mutual holding companies hope that a threat to their business model will be eliminated.

Stonegate Bank in Pompano Beach, Fla., has confirmed that it will provide a bank account to the Cuban government.

Proposed new rules from the CFPB could wind up forcing banks out of the small-dollar lending business, leaving cash-strapped consumers with fewer borrowing options.

First United in Oakland, Md., will exit the Troubled Asset Relief Program after winning an auction to repurchase a warrant from the U.S. Treasury Department.

Westbound Bank in Katy, Texas, has promoted Troy England, chief lending officer, to president.

Atlantic Coast Financial in Jacksonville, Fla., has named Tracy Keegan its full-time chief financial officer.

Several Puerto Rican banks are dealing with a sour participation to a major utility on the island. The creditor — like the Puerto Rican government — is barred from filing for bankruptcy, complicating matters for its lenders.