About 80% of Bank of the West's wealth management customers are existing customers from elsewhere in the bank, according to John Bahnken, head of wealth management for the San Francisco bank.

The San Francisco unit of French bank BNP Paribas is in the "early part" of its plans to enlarge its asset-management operations, but Bank of the West already has tripled its number of financial advisors and doubled its number of wealth-management customers.

China, Switzerland, Germany and Japan are among nations close to reaching arrangements with U.S. regulators to ease the dismantling of failed banks, said Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg.

Wealth management has reached a critical juncture. The pressure to expand and cross-sell could encourage employees to cut corners and regulators to crack down on questionable practices. All this applies to big banks, which thirst for sources of growth, and small banks, which are jumping headlong into the business and catering to the less affluent clients ignored by large banks.

Hyperion Bank in Philadelphia has appointed a president and chief executive to replace its retiring founder.

The Federal Reserve may be preparing to fine Community Trust Bancorp (CTBI) in Pikeville, Ky., for deceptive overdraft practices.

Lifetime Achievement honoree Ellen Alemany notes how the industry has evolved since the start of her career. Alemany, the recently retired head of RBS Citizens Financial Group, accepted the award at an American Banker gala celebrating the industry’s most powerful women.

Banks are looking to the relative safety and profitability of their wealth management divisions to boost earnings. But with that strategy comes increased regulatory and ethical scrutiny of this business line.

The Fed's Janet Yellen and optimism about the future were hot topics at American Banker's Women in Banking awards dinner on Thursday.

Regulators have proposed new rules that would require banks to accept private flood insurance on homes in high-risk areas.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has updated its accounting guidelines to reflect the new regulatory-capital requirements outlined in Basel III set to take effect next year.

The Treasury Department expects to receive roughly $66 million from a recent auction of stakes it owns in seven banks from the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Bertha Garza, who has used her role at IBC Bank in Brownsville, Texas, to help spread financial literacy, was given American Banker's Community Impact Award, presented for the first time at our annual gala celebrating the industry's most powerful women.

Bank of the Ozarks posted a 16% rise in quarterly profit after completing an acquisition and reporting strong loan growth.

Webster Financial (WBS) in Waterbury, Conn., reported higher third-quarter profit as commercial loan growth made up for a steep decline in mortgage-banking revenue.

Raise your hand for assignments, find a strong team, call your mother. Advice to the next generation of women from the most powerful women in banking and finance.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. told banks Thursday to be wary of liability insurance policies that could still force directors and officers to have to pay civil damages.

The $775 million-asset company said Thursday that it raised the funds through a rights offering to existing shareholders.

OmniAmerican Bancorp (OABC) in Fort Worth, Texas, is exiting the business line that accounts for its largest single group of loans.

Synovus Financial (SNV) in Columbus, Ga., has formed an equipment-finance division. The group will be based in Charleston, S.C., the $26 billion-asset Synovus said Thursday.