Experts say that compliance with a potential executive order being considered by the White House that would require banks to collect citizenship information would be costly, especially for community banks.

As the Trump administration limits access to only U.S. citizens, volume in the Small Business Administration's flagship loan program is already trailing the 2025 pace. Experts predict that the tighter eligibility criteria will send more loans to nonbanks.

Charles "Chuck" Parcher will replace Dennis Shaffer as president and CEO of the Sandusky, Ohio-based community bank. Shaffer is set to retire in late August.

Preferred Bank moved a $115 million block of loans to nonaccrual status after the borrower, which is battling fraud charges leveled by other banks, began missing payments.

Acquiring the $386 million-asset Pacific West Bancorp extends a strengthening bull market for bank M&A.

Willamette Valley Bank cited consumer shifts to nonbanks and stubborn interest rates behind the decision, joining a line of institutions to exit since 2025.

Noelle Acheson argues that stablecoins can help community banks deepen relationships with their customers, help them explore new forms of capital formation and strengthen their own exposure to risk.

The payments firm wants to issue a stablecoin called PAYO-USD, joining a wave of digital asset companies seeking federal bank charters.

Banks that have more than $50 billion of assets but are smaller than the megabanks scored the lowest on customer satisfaction, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index's 2026 finance study. The industry's overall score remained stable.

A written agreement between Kentucky First Federal Bancorp and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency was terminated in 20 months, less than half the time that management feared it might take.

The New York City-based lender, whose roots lie in taxi lending, believes an expanded home-improvement loan operation will generate mid-teen loan growth this year.

Beneficial State Bank in Oakland has reached a three-year agreement with the Communications Workers of America. The deal follows a groundbreaking union pact the bank signed in 2021.

First National Corp. in Virginia announced the sale of its two North Carolina branches. Meanwhile, a number of larger competitors are laying plans for growth in the Carolinas.

Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Katie Britt, R-Ala., offered a new bill that would index the Durbin Amendment's debit fee threshold to inflation. The bill joins a number of community bank-centered bills offered or moving through Congress

Bank-favored provisions that were included into the House's version of a bipartisan housing bill threaten to derail Senate passage, but Senate Banking Committee moderates seem skeptical of the combination.

Delinquencies on credit-card debt mostly held steady at the end of last year, but certain groups of consumers are faring better than others.

A housing bill that already passed the Senate cleared the House Monday evening, but included bipartisan community banking provisions that have already raised objections in the upper chamber.

Kohler Credit Union, Think Bank and Communication Federal Credit Union gave their onboarding and direct deposit tech an upgrade through fintech partnerships.

Unlike some of its expansion-minded regional bank peers, Montana-based First Interstate is reconfiguring its business model to be smaller and more focused on relationship banking. The blueprint is the work of CEO Jim Reuter, who joined the bank 15 months ago.

American Banker's 2026 Predictions report finds that nonbank entities and check fraud are major threats to local banks in the coming months.