Peapack-Gladstone Financial in Bedminster, N.J., has agreed to buy Wealth Management Consultants in Morristown, N.J.

Ohio's largest mutual bank is planning to form a holding company to position itself for acquisitions and other growth opportunities.

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week, including the best way to instill ethical culture and what the U.S. can learn from foreign countries' efforts to reach the unbanked.

The usefulness of in-store branches is a hotly debated topic in the banking industry. But some institutions are successfully landing customers — and increasingly valuable deposits — through such locations.

The CFPB wants to expand banks' data reporting requirements under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act. But this would impose even greater costs upon local financial institutions that are already overburdened by regulation.

Alongside the requisite ATMs and tablet-bearing salespeople, a New York credit union has installed touchscreens where customers can visualize a path to realizing their financial goals. Wells Fargo is taking a similar approach to credit education online.

If successful, Provident Bank in Massachusetts and Cincinnati Federal in Ohio would become the first new mutual holding companies since 2011, giving some hope that the structure could make a comeback.

Kevin Cummings, the New Jersey company's CEO, transformed Investors to sizable bank prior to its second-step conversion last May. With $2.2 billion in capital and an updated core system, Cummings has his sights on the company's next growth phase.

Four Oaks Bank in North Carolina has named Warren "Rocky" Herring its chief credit officer. Herring had held the same job at Premier Commercial Bank in Greensboro, N.C., before NewBridge Bancorp bought it last month.

WSFS Financial in Wilmington, Del., has made a number of executive changes following the planned departure of its chief financial officer.

Branch closures can prompt online blowback as community members worry about employee layoffs and stranded customers. A bank's best move is to get in front of the issue and respond directly to locals' concerns.

Bryn Mawr Bank in Pennsylvania has filed documents to raise up to $200 million.

A spike in security breaches might make such protection more appealing to customers, even though regulators are taking a closer look at banks that offer such add-on products.

Financial Institutions Inc. in Warsaw, N.Y., has filed to sell up to $100 million in debt and equity.

Warburg Pincus is set to sell its remaining shares of National Penn Bancshares in Allentown, Pa.

First Defiance Financial in Defiance, Ohio, has completed its exit from the Troubled Asset Relief Program after buying an outstanding warrant from the Treasury Department.

Meta Financial Group in Sioux Falls, N.D., expects to have a strong fiscal second quarter despite a small charge tied to brokered deposits.

Kearny Financial in Fairfield, N.J., is moving ahead with its second-step conversion after getting approval from the Federal Reserve Board.

A former chief financial officer at Cooperative Bank in Roslindale, Mass., has filed a whistle-blower lawsuit against the mutual thrift, alleging he was fired after complaining about conflicts and mismanagement.

Westamerica Bancorp. probably expected little trouble when it asked for regulatory permission to close a small branch in northern California. Wrong! Welcome to the world of online petitions and social media.