The invention of baby carrots transformed Americans' vegetable-eating habits. Banks need to shake up their products and services in a similarly unique way if they hope to differentiate themselves, according to Bill Early of PlumDog Financial.

Staff from Alliance Credit Union walked through the debris in the troubled city of Ferguson, Mo., Wednesday, asking business owners if they needed a 0% loan.

Some politicians and regulators appear determined to shrink big banks. But doing so could hurt Americans who appreciate big banks' geographical reach and wide range of services, according to financial markets scholar Stephen Matteo Miller.

Polonia Bancorp in Huntingdon Valley, Pa., has begun looking for a new president and chief executive to replace its retiring CEO Anthony Szuszczewicz.

City National in Los Angeles has formed an Asian subsidiary to provide research for its emerging markets fund.

The Florida Office of Financial Regulation has approved Florida Central Credit Union's bid to buy a Sarasota, Fla., branch from First Federal Bank of Florida.

Banc of California in Irvine is working to address material weaknesses in its internal controls.

HomeTrust Bank faced a legal challenge from HomeTown Bank after it entered southwestern Virginia. The now-resolved dispute serves as a reminder that banks must be aware of branding challenges when they enter new markets.

Branch managers in Ferguson, Mo., are coping with modified hours and the presence of law enforcement and the Missouri National Guard. Bankers are dedicated to staying open in an area where branches are particularly important to customers.

Southern Bancorp in Arkadelphia, Ark., has agreed to buy the Bank of Bolivar County in Shelby, Miss.

Banks that place too much emphasis on results without understanding the behavior behind it may create a dishonest or overly risky environment, according to consultant David Uhl.

A former Eastern Bank executive has been charged with insider trading in connection with the Boston bank's 2010 purchase of Wainwright Bank & Trust.

Mutual-to-stock conversions are facing new hurdles, as evidenced by events at a pair of Massachusetts mutuals. Depositors at Beverly Bank recently rejected its proposed conversion, while Reading Co-op Bank changed its bylaws to make it more difficult to convert.

Investors will remain reluctant to take on the personal risk inherent in establishing de novo community banks as long as new regulations remain unwieldy and returns stay low, according to Richard Magrann-Wells.

New York-regulated banks won't be able to hire PwC for consulting work until 2016 under a penalty handed down by Benjamin Lawsky, the state's banking superintendent. The move could encourage some banks to turn to smaller auditors, who some experts say produce higher quality work and are less expensive.

Think a Wall Street executive could win a goat-milking contest or be the ringman at a livestock auction? No chance, but they could learn from these small-town bankers in Indiana and Colorado.

Joseph Stilwell, an activist investor who has targeted community banks, has been ordered to appear in federal court in New York in connection to a subpoena request for an investigation into potential securities fraud.

Executives at Tangerine and Moven are dousing themselves with ice water to raise awareness for Lou Gehrig's disease, and posting their videos on Facebook.