Investors pay attention to banks' dealing with relatives of executives and directors. Many of those details are highlighted in annual proxy statements. Here are some high-profile examples.

AmericanWest Bank in Spokane, Wash., has promoted an insider to oversee its expansion into Oregon and northern California.

CrossFirst Holdings in Leawood, Kan., has wrapped up a $22 million private placement.

Stieven, who has followed banks 30 years, managed a portfolio teeming with bank buyers. Still, he cautions against deals that only build scale.

The designer, reality television star and daughter of Donald Trump will not seek re-election to Signature's board, due to her "highly demanding schedule."

Big banks and their CEOs are facing lots of questions at their upcoming shareholder meetings, but the stakes might be higher for community and regional banks.

Bank of the West is putting a big focus on small-business lending while waiting for the sluggish loan growth environment to improve, says Andy Harmening, a senior executive vice president and regional banking group head. Harmening spoke to American Banker at the annual Best Practices in Retail Banking Symposium.

Equipment financing, once viewed as cost-prohibitive for smaller banks due to the financial commitment required to build in-house teams, has become more attractive due to opportunities to work with outside firms.

First BanCorp (FBP) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has scrapped a plan to swap common stock for a certain type of preferred stock.

Astoria Financial (AF) in Lake Success, N.Y., is planning to redeem $125 million in debt.

Century Bancorp (CNBKA) in Medford, Mass., reported higher first-quarter results from lower credit costs and securities gains.

WICHITA, Kan. — A federal judge here yesterday dismissed the majority of $590 million of securities claims brought by NCUA against Credit Suisse Securities in the 2009 collapses of U.S. Central FCU and WesCorp, dealing the credit union regulator another defeat in its efforts to recoup losses for the biggest credit union failures ever.

First Farmers Financial in Converse, Ind., has agreed to buy most of Bank of Indiana.

A securities law firm has filed a class-action suit to halt Renasant's acquisition of First M&F Corp.

Sterling Bancorp; Provident New York Bancorp

Credit unions are picking up auto lending share from the big banks.

Bankers pointed to still-tepid credit demand as lending lost momentum in the first quarter, and worries over deteriorating standards and pricing.

David Rom, who helped found the $156 million-asset bank in 2006, stepped down as CEO on April 1, according to a report published Tuesday in the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. He was replaced by Tom Jacobson, who was the bank's chief operating officer.

What's the most inane complaint your bank has ever received?

A lack of communication allowed a number of banks to use funds from the small-business lending program to pay dividends or exit Tarp, Christy Romero wrote in a report issued Tuesday.