Community bankers are backing a bill introduced in the House of Representatives last week that would exempt privately held banks with less 2,000 shareholders from filing quarterly reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

First Financial Holdings Inc. is selling its insurance agency subsidiary and its chief executive said that the Charleston, S.C., company intends to use the proceeds to shore up its capital base and invest in its core businesses of banking and wealth management.

Less than six months after closing its first-ever bank acquisition, First General Bank in Rowland Heights, Calif., has struck a deal to buy another small bank.

First BanCorp in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Tuesday said it struck an agreement under which the private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners LP may buy $180 million of its common stock as part of a capital improvement plan.

Webster Financial Corp. in Waterbury, Conn., has tapped a former top executive at NewAlliance Bancshares to fill its position of chief financial officer.

The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions closed First Heritage Bank on Friday, and for a second straight week Columbia Banking System submitted a winning bid.

The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions closed First Heritage Bank in Snohomish on Friday, and for a second straight week Columbia Banking System submitted a winning bid.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. assessed a fine on the chairman of the Georgia House of Representatives' banking committee in connection with his relationship with a bank in the state.

Polish and Slavic Federal Credit Union in New York has hired Oskar Mielczarek, an experienced banker, as its president and chief executive.

Hancock Holding Co. in Gulfport, Miss., and PacWest Bancorp in Los Angeles are scheduled to exchange Standard & Poor's indexes.

Community West Bancshares in Goleta, Calif., said Friday that it may revise its first-quarter results to reflect an expected $670,000 increase in its allowance for loan losses.

Fidelity Southern Corp. in Atlanta said Friday that it had raised $14.4 million in a private placement. The $2 billion-asset company also said it sold about 2.2 million shares of common stock at $6.65 a share, or 9.9% of shares outstanding.

The Federal Reserve on Thursday announced written agreements with four banking companies.

Investors have recapitalized several banks, most notably those in the western U.S., in recent months with the intention of salvaging their franchises and creating vehicles that can be used to buy other banks.

Enterprise Financial Services Corp. in St. Louis said it raised about $35 million in a public offering completed Tuesday.

Cydly Langer Smith succeeded her mother, Helen Langer Smith, who is replacing her daughter as the vice chairman of the $900 million-asset bank, it said late Wednesday.

PrivateBancorp Inc. of Chicago said Wednesday that it has named James Guyette as the second chairman in the company's 20-year history.

Now its patience and determination appear to be paying off. Last Friday Blue Ridge's CertusBank subsidiary got a lot bigger when it received regulatory approval to acquire two failed Georgia banks from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Struggling Carver Bancorp is going on the offensive in its effort to fix its balance sheet and return to profitability, adding the newly created position of president and chief operating officer.

Senate Republicans are urging the House to use a procedural maneuver to block President Obama's recess appointment powers for the remainder of his term.