Salaries and benefits are up, as banks work harder to recruit and retain staff. So are casual days, wellness programs and other perks.

The bank is looking to raise $72 million, which it could use for organic growth and acquisitions.

It's tough to be a bank director these days, as the public and elected officials hold the board responsible for misdeeds that occur on their watch. Turnover is up, and filling the seats is more of a challenge than ever.

Banks are revamping and investing in new wholesale systems to solve the frustrations felt by corporate customers.

New branches, big donations and more ways credit unions are giving back to their communities.

Many institutions have delayed planning for a big change to reserve accounting despite a belief that they should start testing systems and methodologies next year.

The Montana company agreed to buy Inter-Mountain Bancorp in an all-stock deal valued at $173 million. The company has lined up nine bank acquisitions in the last five years.

If Congress changes the $50 billion-asset threshold for systemically important financial institutions, big banks could take it as a signal that regulators would be amenable to larger deals.

raising funds for sick kids, giving aspiring scholars a boost and other ways credit unions are giving back to the communities they serve.

The New Jersey company reported lower third-quarter profit that included severance costs from a two-year program to boost its bottom line.

A planned spinoff, combined with several new ventures, should help BankMobile turn the corner, says Luvleen Sidhu, the digital-only bank's president.

Consolidation has led to too few community banks, which is amplified in areas where capital is needed most.

The traditional community bank model of "being local and providing good service" no longer provides an competitive edge in a world dominated by online banking, according to Douglas Kennedy, CEO of Peapack-Gladstone.

The company, which agreed to buy Southwest Bancshares in Mobile, also plans to sell $45 million in stock to help fund the deal.

Jim Popp, formerly of JPMorgan Chase, will become CEO of Johnson Financial Group in Racine at yearend. He will succeed the retiring Jim Bolger.

The mutual, which agreed to buy First Colebrook Bancorp, had recently opened a limited-service branch in Portsmouth, N.H.

Banks are swapping out long-term holdings for short-term securities to manage interest rate risk. But in the process, they are sacrificing yield — and ammo they might need to pay more for deposits to retain customers.

The Michigan company's third-quarter results were down slightly from a year earlier despite increased commercial lending and a wider net interest margin.

For community bankers, the current environment is more challenging than ever, with high regulatory burden and tough competition. Four bank CEOs sat down to discuss the future of the industry, and what they are hoping may change.

Increased investor appetite and the emergence of specialized debt ratings are expected to spur demand, and community banks are looking for ways to fund expansion and hedge against future economic downturns.