Emigrant Bank in New York has received regulatory approval to sell branches to Apple Bank for Savings.

A growing number of community banks are experimenting with traveling employees and student part-timers to cut branch expenses.

Dan Rollins suggested that BancorpSouth undertake a sequester-style process to reduce expenses.

Are regulatory rules meant to make big banks safer instead doing more to shield them from competition from smaller players?

There's an oversupply of old-fashioned branches, and banks don't know what to do with them, says industry consultant and executive recruiter Rod Taylor.

OceanFirst Financial in Toms River, N.J., has hired the former chief executive of Patriot National Bancorp as its president.

Peoples Financial in Biloxi, Miss., is resuming stock buybacks.

If a customer connects to an open Wi-Fi network, fails to follow adequate Bluetooth communications protocol or uses shoddy passwords on smartphones, a bank's internal networks may be exposed to fraud.

The Georgia community bank converted its 300+ staff to Google Apps for Business, signaling a continuing, albeit slow, trend of banks going to the cloud for email service.

Organic loan growth and expense control are the top priorities at F.N.B. and People's United, but their CEOs also eager to accelerate expansion in markets where they are relative newcomers.

Healthier sellers are searching for growth partners instead of saviors, and buyers seeking greater density in their current markets are ready to oblige.

Rep. Maxine Waters, the top Democrat on the House banking panel, signaled her support for two key credit union bills to expand business lending and access supplemental capital.

Large banks have been relatively inactive in the market for targets with less than $2 billion of assets, once a staple.

Summit State Bank (SSBI) in Santa Rosa, Calif., has added Brad Baker to its board.

Nearly a year after legislation let more banks stop filing with the SEC, management teams continue to evaluate lower costs against having to move to lesser-known stock exchanges.

Louisiana Bancorp (LABC) in Metairie has wound up one stock buyback program and is beginning another.

Susquehanna Bancshares (SUSQ) in Lititz, Pa., has settled a lawsuit with customers who challenged the $18 billion-asset company's overdraft fees.

Khanh Vuong has been named senior vice president and chief risk and investment officer for the company, which owns the $2.9 billion-asset Kearny Federal Savings Bank.