The Federal Reserve Board has freed Bank Hapoalim from an order that had required the Israeli bank to tighten its anti-money laundering oversight.

Huntington Bancorp (HBAN) in Columbus, Ohio, has appointed a new leader of its market in southern Ohio and Kentucky.

A group that includes the co-founder of Sandler O'Neill & Partners has started a new investment bank aimed at community and regional banks.

A well-structured mortgage business will generate strong revenues that can help offset declines elsewhere, regulatory challenges and interest rate volatility notwithstanding.

Selecting a property, hiring an architect, building designers, interiors, vendors and technology providers all encompass a project that amounts to a two-year business interruption. It does nothing to attract a client base.

The fourth-generation president of NexTier Bank in Butler, Pa., has resigned in order to accept a senior position with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh.

First National Community Bancorp. (FNCB) in Dunmore, Pa., has promoted three executives.

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation is giving $1 million apiece to five African American-owned banks in an effort to create more lending opportunities for people and businesses in minority communities.

A breakdown of M&A announcements in the financial services industry for the week ended Oct. 5

The alarm blaring in the New York headquarters of Amalgamated Bank, where the Democratic National Committee and Occupy Wall Street are clients, didn't bother the two pinstriped executives sitting still with legs crossed.

Community bankers should opt out of the requirement to deduct unrealized gains and losses from AOCI; be aware of the challenges and opportunities that Basel III creates for M&A and capital raising; and stay on guard for changes to risk weighting of mortgages, experts say.

Several community banks are scrambling to address Tarp balances, either by selling or refinancing, as the dividend rate on those shares is set to nearly double.

The Treasury Department plans to auction stakes in eight more banks as it continues winding down the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Jacksonville Bancorp in Florida has closed the sale of $5 million worth of common stock.

Greater Hudson Bank in Middletown, N.Y., has named its next chief executive.

First Farmers Bank & Trust in Converse, Ind., has received regulatory approval to acquire most of the Bank of Indiana.

Farmers National in Canfield, Ohio, is getting rid of its chief executive.

Federal Reserve officials reassured community bankers that they are vital to the U.S. economy at a conference in St. Louis last week, while other speakers said regulators are burdening small banks with confusing, confining rules.

Community organizations in California are urging regulators to postpone approval of PacWest Bancorp's (PACW) acquisition of CapitalSource (CSE), arguing that PacWest lacks CapitalSource's commitment to serving community needs and economically disadvantaged groups.

Royal Bank of Scotland is said to be looking for a buyer for its 105-branch network in Chicago, but finding a buyer might be difficult because of market conditions and regulatory issues.