In order for artificial intelligence to be useful, it has to be powered by accurate information, three community-bank executives agreed at a virtual panel hosted by American Banker.

The deposit insurance reform bill would give credit unions an on-ramp to competing for commercial accounts. A better alternative would be to reactivate the Transaction Account Guarantee program as needed.

A bank's regulatory posture is no longer fully within its own control. When a critical vendor becomes subject to new supervisory expectations, the bank's risk profile changes regardless of anything the bank itself has done.

An uptick in problem loans within the heavily scrutinized office sector pushed down share prices at Rhode Island-based Washington Trust and Bank OZK in Little Rock, Arkansas, even though both banks reported solid profits.

The South Carolina-based bank agreed to pay more than $100 million to acquire a longtime competitor in fast-growing Hall County, Georgia.

The challenge for banks is not whether to adopt AI but how to do so with discipline, judgment and a clear understanding of its limits. The history of technology firms overpromising is extensive in the banking industry.

Community Bankshares in Lagrange ran afoul of regulators after announcing a major expansion of its government-guaranteed lending operation in 2025.

In a strategic shift, the Walnut Creek-based company has tapped a trio of former PacWest executives to fill its top three management positions.

Oil rights can be a surprisingly illiquid asset. A fintech called Frontlands is hoping to change that by offering a credit card for the owners of oil wells and other natural resources.

Organizers of the Winter Park-based Portrait Bank said they exceeded their capital-raise target by a wide margin, clearing the path for a June soft launch.

Hope Bancorp's acquisition of a business that serves Japanese companies should complement its historic focus on Korean business owners.

The bank's planned $142 million acquisition of Affinity Bancshares comes as war-related uncertainty appears to have slowed the industry's appetite for mergers.

Carter Bankshares in Martinsville, Va., sold more than $200 million of loans made to companies controlled by Sen. Jim Justice and his family, closing out a once close relationship that later descended into rancor and litigation.

Like much of the United States, Tampa Bay has seen very few new bank charters in recent years. That's a void that the new Echelon Bank, which is slated to open in May, hopes to fill.

B2 Bank in Minnesota, which recently exited a regulatory action in connection with its banking-as-a-service business, announced the hires of a new CEO and two other senior executives.

Diligence Capital Management is pushing the beleaguered bank to add directors with bank turnaround experience. Eagle has been searching for a new CEO after getting battered from losses tied to its commercial real estate portfolio.

Cambridge Savings Bank has been stockpiling capital. Now its CEO says it's willing to part with a portion of that stash if the right opportunity presents itself.

Two credit unions in San Diego are locked in a bitter fight over a proposed merger; and a community bank in upstate New York fights off a corporate raider.

Lake Shore Bancorp in Western New York has reached a "standstill agreement" with the Stilwell Group, which has promised not to force a merger or sale in the next three years.

Some of the country's largest financial institutions are rolling out stablecoins. With the right strategy, community and mid-tier banks can also reap the benefits of the new payment rail.