MidSouth Bancorp Inc. has long said that pricing has been to irrational in M&A. News that interest rates will stay low, however, may force an inflection point for sellers.

One of my mantras over the past few years has been that as our industry becomes more technology-driven and our products and services more commoditized, our people become more important, not less.

Waccamaw Bankshares Inc. in Whiteville, N.C., has until late September to file certain financial statements with the Securities and Exchange or else its thinly traded stock could be removed from the Nasdaq exchange.

As part of its ongoing effort to bolster its capital base, embattled Capitol Bancorp Ltd. is selling its ownership stake in an Ohio bank it co-founded to a group of local investors.

MidSouth Bancorp Inc. said Tuesday it will buy First Louisiana National Bank for $11.5 million in cash and 725,000 shares of common stock.

Fannie Mae has agreed to settle multimillion-dollar claims brought by several of the biggest victims of the massive CU National Mortgage scandal, more than two years after the fraud brought down the largest independent mortgage wholesale provider to credit unions.

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Banks seemed to dodge the projected worst-case scenarios outlined for Irene due to a lighter punch from the storm and extensive contingency plans from management teams at banks from North Carolina to Maine.

Private equity firms and hedge funds are forcing the banks they invest in to clean up problem loans, and it's starting to show in the data.

Comerica is eliminating roughly 300 jobs in Houston in connection with its July acquisition of Sterling Bancshares.

Loans or other investments that "revitalize or stabilize federally designated disaster areas" could help boost banks' scores on Community Reinvestment Act exams, the FDIC said in a letter to institutions.

Deposits have hit their highest level in history despite efforts by banks to aggressively lower rates. Some are looking at new charges despite the risk of losing customers.

Bank of Commerce Holdings in Redding, Calif., has beefed up its payroll processing capabilities by acquiring a small payroll firm in its hometown.

The bank said in a press release that it would use the proceeds to further strengthen its capital position, support growth strategies and for general corporate purposes.

ICBA says fair-lending actions overstep legal authority by focusing outside a bank's CRA assessment boundaries.

In 2008 the Democratic nominee raised far more money from Wall Street than John McCain. But for 2012, the financial industry is favoring Mitt Romney over the incumbent president.

Community bankers say they'll continue offering free checking for the foreseeable future, even if they're not entirely happy about it. If they followed the big banks by adding fees or changing terms, "we'd lose the accounts," says one local banker.

U.S. Bancorp will add more than 300 employees in St. Louis by the end of the year largely to support its growth of mortgage lending in the area, according to a report in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.

The $3.4 billion-asset company announced last week that it paid $600,000 for a ham — the grand champion ham at the 48th Kentucky Country Ham Auction, an annual charity event.

With the Eastern Seaboard bracing Friday for the arrival of Hurricane Irene, the FDIC told banks to look in the not-too-distant past for how to deal with damaging storms.