First Commercial Bancshares will to sell a branch in Norman, Oklahoma. The Edmond, Okla., company has been focusing more on Colorado, where it has four branches.

The Santa Rosa, Calif., thrift is the latest lender to be targeted by the Justice Department for allegedly discriminating against minorities.

Citizens Republic had been rumored to be on the block for several weeks. Analysts are also calling the deal significant, but pricey, for FirstMerit.

Rep. Jeb Hensarling, a candidate to assume control of the House Financial Services Committee next year, sharply criticized the Dodd-Frank Act, saying it had severely damaged financial institutions.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. warned banks under its watch Wednesday about the risks of acquiring participations in loans while relying too heavily on originating institutions for the underwriting.

The FDIC highlighted continued use of "alternative financial services" in its second-ever survey reporting the share of households that are unbanked or underbanked.

Regions has retooled its wealth management operations, an effort that was partly spurred by the company's sale of Morgan Keegan earlier this year.

Banks as a whole continue to invest heavily in bonds issued by Fannie and Freddie, but strategic orientations vary widely across individual companies. Use this interactive graphic to see portfolio composition for big holding companies.

The Fed may be considering more quantitative easing or keeping interest rates artificially low. That's not what leaders of small banks want to hear.

Banks have to spend money to make money and avoid overreliance on acquisitions, BB&T's CEO said in discussing plans for de novo branches and other investments.

Leaders of small banks do not want the Fed to purchase more bonds or keep interest rates low. Instead, they want the Fed stand down and let the economy heal on its own.

Associated Banc-Corp (ASBC) is eyeing acquisitions of community banks, but its chief executive says it has little interest in failed banks and would only consider deals within its existing markets.

Maryland bankers should team up and stop selling out to big, out-of-state players, says Old Line Bancshares' James Cornelsen. The choices they face say a lot about the options available to bankers across the country.

Republic Bancorp CEO Steve Trager sees a recent purchase of First Commercial Bank as an opportunity to grow in Minnesota, despite being 700 miles from Republic's Kentucky home.

Mid-America Bankshares of Baldwin City, Kan., will buy a branch from Garnett Bancshares. The deal extends a string of deals involving community banks in Kansas.

The FDIC can invest in the equity of teetering but salvageable banks. This would save money for the taxpayers, preserve banks that are worth preserving – and send a clear message about the future of community banking.

BB&T signs a 10-year deal for naming rights to the former BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., home of the NHL's Florida Panthers. It is part of the spoils from the North Carolina bank's acquisition of BankAtlantic.

National Bank Holdings in Greenwood, Colo., plans to raise up to $180.9 million after completing an initial public offering.

Broadway Bank in San Antonio is continuing its growth northward with plans to open several branches around Austin, Texas.

Old Line Bancshares has agreed to buy WSB Holdings in a deal that will combine two banks based in Bowie, Md.