Under Roy Malone's direction, Golden Pacific Bancorp last year introduced an online lending platform that vastly speeds up the approval process for borrowers seeking Small Business Administration loans ranging from $5,000 to $150,000.

NBT Bancorp in Norwich, N.Y., has prepaid about $165 million in Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings.

Creating a more efficient way to do the same old thing isn't enough, says David Gerbino. Banks need to reconstruct some of their basic deposit products to truly innovate.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has closed Slavie Federal Savings Bank in Bel Air, Md.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is looking to ban a former Tennessee banker from the industry following his institution's 2012 failure.

The addition of a new community bank section in the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s quarterly bank earnings report is meant to make up for distortions in how large banks drive industry data.

First Internet Bank (INBK) in Indianapolis has appointed a executive to run its asset-based lending business.

The emergence of several regional banks in California could prompt smaller institutions to weigh their M&A options. Higher operating costs and limited revenue opportunities could also force more consolidation in the state.

Independent Bank Group (IBTX) in McKinney, Texas, is reportedly in talks to buy Houston Community Bank.

First Savings Bank of Perkasie in Pennsylvania has acquired investment advisor Longview Capital Management in Wilmington, Del.

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week.

American Bancorporation was the first-ever bank holding company thrown into bankruptcy by the holders of its trust-preferred securities. Regulators may be able to avoid similar bankruptcies if more flexibility is shown in allowing holding companies to access capital to pay off creditors.

Eastern Virginia Bankshares (EVBS) said Thursday that it has agreed to acquire Virginia Company Bank (VGNA) for $9.2 million in stock and cash.

Women need to stop stressing out about giving equal attention to personal and professional goals, Teresa Taylor writes in her latest book. Taylor, a director at First Interstate BancSystem, also advises women to be more aggressive with networking if they want to sit on more corporate boards.

Legal experts are becoming increasingly concerned that federal judges are questioning the right of a lender of secondary creditor to bid the full value of claims in Chapter 11 cases. For banks looking at bankruptcy, this development provides more encouragement to settle with certain debtholders before seeking legal protection.

The National Credit Union Administration has approved the sale of Flint River National Bank in Camilla, Ga., to Five Star Credit Union in Dothan, Ala.

Solera National Bancorp (SLRK) lost its proxy battle at the ballot box, though the Lakewood, Colo., company still hopes it can win in the courtroom.

Financial Institutions (FISI) in Warsaw, N.Y. has agreed to buy Scott Danahy Naylon, an insurance agency in Amherst, N.Y.

Seacoast Commerce Bank (SCCB) in San Diego has opened a new loan production office in Boise, in an effort to extend its Small Business Administration lending business to Idaho and eastern Washington.

Much has been made of how Basel III requirements have dulled banks' appetite for mortgage servicing rights, but a handful of institutions are buying within regulatory limits.