Bill Crawford seemed content to oversee slow and steady growth before agreeing to buy United Financial in a deal that will create a $5 billion-asset bank in the Northeast.

Commercial lending perked up after the government shutdown ended, though bankers are still having to cut deals on pricing to land business. Consumer lending continued to decelerate.

George Bailey has a lot to teach us about the ongoing basic risks faced by financial institutions.

United Community Banks (UCBI) in Blairsville, Ga., plans to redeem $180 million of stock issued under the Treasury Department's Troubled Asset Relief Program along with $16.8 million of other outstanding preferred stock.

Americas United Bank (AUNB) in Glendale, Calif., has agreed to buy Silvergate Capital Corp.'s lone branch in Los Angeles county.

A compilation of the year's favorite stories, as selected by the people who assigned and edited them. Picks exclude items that appear among Top Stories of 2013, as measured by audience size.

Compliance issues and regulatory worries can prevent many banks from embracing much new technology internally - especially when it comes to the tricky waters of social media like Twitter. Frank Sorrentino III, CEO of the New Jersey community bank ConnectOne, discusses why he and his bank are so active on Twitter, and why other bankers shouldn't let worries about compliance block them from being innovative.

We revisit some of the best comments readers posted to AmericanBanker.com and BankThink.com in 2013.

United Bancorp (UBMI) in Ann Arbor, Mich., has redeemed the last of its Troubled Asset Relief Program shares.

Banks got some regulatory relief in 2013 as federal regulators sharply curtailed their issuance of new enforcement actions.

Susquehanna Bancshares is doing a sale-leaseback of 30 branches to improve its capital planning. But over the long term, and more importantly to the industry overall, it could also help the bank get out of branches that may one day become obsolete.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. issued a prompt corrective action against AztecAmerica Bank in Berwyn, Ill., in November and hit two other banks with consent orders.

Old National Bancorp (ONB) in Evansville, Ind., will pay a $500,000 fine in the process of satisfying a regulatory order to strengthen its anti-laundering controls.

WashingtonFirst Bankshares (WFBI) in Reston, Va., is the latest lender to divest securities on concerns about the Volcker Rule's controversial ban on collateralized debt obligations.

The Federal Reserve Board has approved Community West Bancshares' (CWBC) request to pay dividends on preferred stock.

Cathay General Bancorp in Los Angeles has announced a number of executive changes, including the appointment of Irwin Wong to the newly created position of chief retail administration and regulatory affairs officer.

Susquehanna Bancshares (SUSQ) in Lititz, Pa., has sold 30 branches to a SunTrust Banks (STI) subsidiary and agreed to lease them back.

The Columbus, Ga., company has overcome a series of challenges since 2008, yet it will face more in the coming year. CEO Kessel Stelling, in a Q&A, addresses questions about how it will boost revenue and profits.

Banking regulators have until Monday to respond to a lawsuit filed by the American Bankers Association over the Volcker Rule.

The board of Carolina Trust Bank (CART) in Lincolnton, N.C., has recruited Jerry Ocheltree, the former leader of First Bancorp (FBNC), to be its next president and chief executive.