Doral Financial (DRL) is evaluating its legal options after Puerto Rico rejected the company's request for a $230 million refund of overpaid taxes.

A founding director at Touchmark Bancshares in Georgia claims he was ousted after questioning the bank's strategy. Now he is lobbying for the company's sale.

Taylor Capital (TAYC) in Chicago has been notified by the Federal Reserve Board that its bank is facing an enforcement action for employing deceptive trade practices.

Midwestern community banks are in their best financial condition since early 2009, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said in a May 13 report.

Kennebec Savings Bank has a 19th century charter, but it is poised for a complex conversion to deal with modern challenges like activists investors, M&A pressures and even Basel III.

Homeowners who took advantage of the refinancing boom aren't buying new houses, because it would mean taking on higher-rate loans. That's a problem for banks already reporting huge declines in mortgage revenue.

Attendees at this year's D.A. Davidson Conference believe the approval process is calming down somewhat. Other bankers say they are looking to lower capital levels, with many showing an interest in deposit-rich franchises.

Bankers are optimistic that they will bounce back after a harsh winter in almost every part of the country raised their snow removal costs, slashed mortgage income and slowed overall customer activity.

Banc of California (BANC) in Irvine is looking to raise $100 million by selling common stock and tangible equity units.

Associated Banc-Corp (ASBC) in Green Bay, Wis., has been hit with a $500,000 fine by regulators for deficiencies in its anti-money laundering compliance procedures.

Banks are adding more stock to their top employees' compensation packages, according to executive recruiter Rod Taylor. That can help some bankers reap bigger payouts if they work for a company that is likely to get sold, although for some bankers, "cash is still king," Taylor says.

Banker compensation trends were mixed last year, particularly among the nation's largest institutions. Average CEO compensation at the nation's four largest banks rose 10% in 2013, compared to a year earlier, based on data from governance watchdog GMI Ratings. However, CEO compensation fell 16%, on average, at other banks with assets of at least $50 billion.

Citizens Bank of Edmond, a $252 million-asset bank led by Jill Castilla, is eager to show that a lack of size shouldn't hold a bank back from doing things differently. The bank is embracing new ATM technology and active use of social media.

Median pay for CEOs at banks with less than $20 billion of assets typically pales in comparison with the executive compensation at larger institutions. Still, some CEOs at smaller banks are richly rewarded. Figures, provided by GMI Ratings and SNL Financial, are for 2013.

Executive pay packages have long been structured to reflect performance. But one key task that often gets short shrift from bank directors and CEOs is succession planning. Now pressure is mounting for that to change.

HV Bancorp in Huntingdon Valley, Pa., has filed to sell more than $13 million in stock as part of its planned conversion to a stock company.

Progreso CEO Raul Vazquez discusses the firm's strategic plans and speaks out for the first time about the Hispanic lender's connections to retail giant Wal-Mart.

Doral, under pressure from the FDIC to boost capital or sell assets, is demanding a refund from the territory tied to certain receivables. The capital issue prompted to downgrades from several ratings agencies.

Bank boards are busier than ever, but that's no excuse for putting succession planning on the back burner, say consultants Peter Thies and Ollie Sommer.

Five Star Credit Union in Dothan, Ala., has received approval from the Alabama Credit Union Administration to buy Flint River National Bank in Camilla, Ga.