Taylor Capital (TAYC) will take a $3.7 million charge for the third quarter after its bank decided to extinguish some of its outstanding debt.

West Coast Bancorp's pending $506 million sale to Columbia Banking System could serve as a green light for private equity firms itching to cash out of post-crisis bank investments.

Banks can retain loyalty while changing their checking account fee structures by personalizing their service practices, continually improving upon the customer's experience and leveraging data generated by their call centers.

While criticizing big bank bailouts, the former FDIC chairman highlights instances where small firms — including United Commercial Bank and ShoreBank — were closed even with alternatives available.

Flagstar Bancorp (FBC) in Troy, Mich. must stand trial over charges it breached contracts for financial guaranty insurance on roughly $1 billion in residential mortgage-backed securities it issued during the run-up to the financial crisis.

WASHINGTON — Zions Bancorp., the largest bank remaining in the Troubled Asset Relief Program, repaid the last of its government funds to exit the program Wednesday, the Treasury Department announced.

An increase in capital requirements may reduce earnings, minimize returns and contribute to a stagnant environment where loan production is at a minimum and bank acquisitions are very few.

Aspiring consolidators are weighing the advantages of attracting lending teams instead of making outright acquisitions.

Fidelity Bancorp, Western Liberty and Savannah Bancorp artfully structured deals to sell themselves, and are rushing to complete them, in case Congress raises capital gains taxes next year.

Columbia Banking System has agreed to buy West Coast Bancorp. The acquisition, valued at about $506 million, will create a community bank in the Pacific Northwest with more than $7 billion in assets.

Metro Bank in Harrisburg, Pa., will pay $1.5 million to settle claims that it violated the Bank Secrecy Act.

HomeTrust Bancshares in Asheville, N.C., has adopted a so-called "tax preservation plan," which is designed to protect a company's deferred tax assets during a lengthy period of operating losses.

The Norfolk, Va., company announced on Monday that Charles M. Johnston, a former chief financial officer at Eastern Bank in Boston, had joined its board.

The SEC has charged three former executives of TierOne, a failed bank in Nebraska, with misleading investors about the extent of the bank's losses during the financial crisis.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. announced a new system Tuesday for classifying violations of consumer-protection rules that the agency spots during exams.

The Federal Reserve Board has lifted a written agreement with Ames Community Bank in Iowa that required the company to improve its credit administration.

The National Credit Union Administration filed a lawsuit against Barclays, alleging the bank's sale of faulty mortgage-backed securities to two corporate credit unions — U.S. Central and WesCorp — contributed to their 2009 collapse.

At least a dozen community banks have planned new headquarters in the past year, either by building offices or leasing new digs. Some of the banks outgrew older offices, while others took advantage of low interest rates and great pricing to make the move.

Dwight Utz wanted to accelerate his North Carolina company's growth by bringing in private equity. Less than year after ECB's plans fell through, the company agreed to sell to Crescent Financial, which has plenty of backing from private equity firms.

Regulators are barring a Minnesota bank holding company from paying shareholders and some creditors until it takes steps to boost its capital.