Western Alliance Bancorporation in Phoenix is looking for a new chief operating officer. Kenneth Vecchione will resign on April 5 to become the chief executive at another publicly traded financial services company, Western Alliance said Wednesday.

InvesTex Credit Union has agreed to acquire StarTrust Federal Credit Union, the troubled former Enron credit union, in a combination of Houston institutions.

William Houlihan, a former CFO for Hudson United Bank in Mahwah, N.J., will become the top financial officer at the $3.7 billion-asset Amalgamated, the company said Wednesday.

Capital One, Nationstar and Flagstar Bancorp are among 10 banks and servicers that have been slow to process payouts of insurance claims to homeowners hit by Hurricane Sandy, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo charged.

Fentura Financial (FETM) in Fenton, Mich., has turned a profit thanks to an improvement in its loan portfolio.

Bank of Virginia (BOVA) in Midlothian is committing more than $80 million to two programs involving federally backed debt.

Citizens Financial Group in Providence, R.I., has formed a health care banking group for Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, according to a news report.

American Banker has opened the application period for a new program that will identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in the banking industry.

First PacTrust Bancorp (BANC) in Irvine, Calif., is delaying the filing of its annual report after switching auditors and seeing several top executives leave in recent months.

LNB Bancorp in Lorain, Ohio, has retired a large chunk of its bailout money by offering its owners common stock.

The Buffalo, N.Y. company has struggled to gain traction from last year's purchase of more than 100 HSBC branches.

With branches becoming more like expensive billboards, banks are searching for lower-cost ways to maintain visibility in existing markets and raise their profiles in newer ones.

First Niagara (FNFG) in Buffalo, N.Y. is looking for a permanent chief executive following the abrupt departure of John Koelmel.

Instead of its just releasing out-of-court agreements on request, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has devoted an area of its website for posting settlement documents that will be updated regularly.

Eagle Bancorp in Bethesda, Md., said Tuesday that it had opened a branch in Alexandria, Va., marking its sixth branch in the state.

The Federal Reserve Board has taken action against a Midwest banking company.

First Financial Corp. (THFF) of Terre Haute, Ind., is buying seven branches and two drive-up locations in Illinois from Bank of America (BAC).

A unit of SVB Financial Group (SIVB) in Santa Clara, Calif., plans to raise $300 million for a venture capital fund.

BankUnited, the Florida bank led by John Kanas, has hired two of his former colleagues at Capital One — Joe Roberto and Kelly Sheehan — to run its nascent operation in the Big Apple.

HomeStreet (HMST) in Seattle may be nearing an exit from a cease-and-desist order after paying an important debt.