American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. As excerpted from the Comments sections of AmericanBanker.com articles.

Iberiabank Corp. (IBKC) in Layfayette, La., has agreed to buy Synovus Financial (SNV) operations in Memphis.

F.N.B. Corp. (FNB) in Pittsburgh has launched the first fund from its new small-business investment company.

Standard Financial (STND) in Monroeville, Pa., plans to delist from the Nasdaq and cease reporting with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

HomeStreet (HMST) in Seattle has expanded its mortgage business in the Golden State, opening six offices in Northern and Central California.

Recent acquisitions by MB Financial and PacWest illustrate how deals can add value. M&A is returning as a valid alternative for implementing strategy that will reshape the industry.

Arvest Bank of Fayetteville, Ark., has bought the naming rights to a historic theater in downtown Kansas City four years after entering the market.

City Holding (CHCO) in Charleston, W.Va., said it will close a branch in Virginia Beach after determining that the location had an undesirable deposit mix.

New York State's chief banking regulator is tightening the screws on banks that lend to landlords, increasing the requirements for Community Reinvestment Act credit.

The decision by private-equity backers of Sterling Financial to push for a sale of the entire Spokane company, rather than to merely unload their shares, surprised investors. It also showed that investor exits are a complex business which often defy expectations.

Frank and George Hamlin at Canandaigua National are turning letter writing into an art form as they rail against a wave of new bank regulation.

Failures, mergers and charter consolidations have all played a role in the latest decline, but what's really driving down the numbers is the lack of de novos.

Banks and credit unions are normally clash with each other, but pumping free gasoline for consumers while bashing big banks was a public-relations opportunity both sides found hard to resist.

Paul Aguggia is resigning from a large law firm to take the helm at Clifton Savings Bancorp in New Jersey, joining the company in advance of an anticipated second-step conversion.

Old National Bancorp (ONB) in Evansville, Ind., has agreed to sell two branches in Indiana: one to MainSource Financial, and one to River Valley Bancorp.

Many banks have programs to help children open their first bank accounts (and keep their parents coming back). Following are six banks whose marketing departments have gotten particularly creative in designing their children’s savings programs.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has terminated a consent order for Idaho First Bank in McCall.

Avidbank in Palo Alto, Calif., said that Kenneth Brenner will step down as president to become head of strategic relationships. Ronald Oliveria, Abidbank's chief credit officer, will succeed Brenner. The bank also made Dori Hamilton its chief banking officer.

UMB Financial in Kansas City, Mo., disclosed in a regulatory filing Thursday that a client is expected to move about $1.1 billion in deposits to an unnamed depository institution in the next 120 days.

Stonegate Bank (SGBK) in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has agreed to buy Florida Shores Bancorp in Pompano Beach.