Community banks are facing mounting competition from bigger companies, regulators and consulting firms as they try to staff up in their compliance departments. American Banker editors discuss how small banks can compete for the best compliance personnel and what they should be looking for in potential new hires.

Bond Street Holdings in Weston, Fla., plans to close four of the 25 branches it acquired from Great Florida Bank in Miami Lakes.

The former bank analyst is striking out on his own after shutting down an investment firm he co-founded with banker Vernon Hill.

There are plenty of reasons why small banks may be reluctant to amp up their social media presence. But this week's bad weather illustrates how these platforms can provide a real value-add.

Douglas Biddle has succeeded Denise Portmann as CFO at Bank of the Pacific, the $705 million-asset company said in a press release Thursday.

First Trust in New Orleans has been freed from a written agreement with the Federal Reserve Board.

North Shore Bank in Peabody, Mass., has agreed to merge with Saugusbank in Saugus, Mass.

Peoples Financial Services in Scranton, Pa., reported a fourth-quarter loss tied to its merger with Penseco Financial Services. The $1.7 billion-asset company lost $2.8 million in the quarter, compared to Penseco's $2.7 million in profit a year earlier.

United Bancorp in Martins Ferry, Ohio, said its chief executive is stepping aside and that his son will take over day-to-day management.

West Virginia's City Holding is content to have loan officers drive several hours to pursue lending opportunities rather than relying on aggressive M&A. Part of the approach is tied to lessons learned from a risky strategy that blew up on a previous management team in the 1990s.

The Credit Union National Association was recognized for its #Don'tTaxTuesday campaign, which asked supporters to tweet messages at lawmakers to protect credit unions' tax-exempt status.

Retail and financial services trade groups have launched a new partnership aimed at improving cybersecurity across both industries.

A majority of U.S. banks plan to add staff this year even as they contend with increased compliance and health care costs, according to an industry survey.

The American Bankers Association has decided to drop its lawsuit against the final Volcker Rule, saying regulators have already addressed some of the potential damage from the regulation.

Patriot Financial is among a handful of investors to team up and bid on 1st Mariner Bank in a bankruptcy auction. Kirk Wycoff, Patriot's managing director, says his firm likes the structure and thinks it provides a market-based solution to community banks' debt hangover.

Being persistent and relentlessly reasonable can succeed over expressions of outrage, however justified that may be.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has filed a lawsuit against an executive at Renasant (RNST) in an effort to recoup money from a defaulted loan from the defunct Tennessee Commerce Bank.

Talmer Bancorp in Troy, Mich., expects to raise $42.5 million in its initial public offering.

Banks have shied away from private student loans, both because of the need for scale in this business and intense scrutiny from regulators including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. But these loans are performing much better than federally guaranteed student loans, says Dan Feshbach, Chief Executive of data company MeasureOne.