Colony Bankcorp in Fitzgerald, Ga., has redeemed $3.6 million in perpetual preferred stock associated with the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

A likely sale of CIT Group's aircraft unit (and a whole lot of other stuff) is keeping Ellen Alemany busy, a former Wall Street banker talks about big data as a financial weapon of mass discrimination targeting women and the poor, and First Busey shows how investing in employees pays off. Also, TIAA's Kathie Andrade, Deloitte's Cathy Engelbert and (to spice things up) Victoria Beckham.

A rising number of banks are looking to become community development financial institutions, emboldened by low-cost capital and an exemption from the ability-to-repay rule.

Captex Bancshares, which has been created by George Lea and Michael Thomas Jr., has an agreement to buy the $165 million-asset parent of First National Bank of Trenton. Captex did not disclose how much it would pay for the acquisition, which is expected to close in the first quarter.

Banks are making it easier to get approved for a checking account. But once-banished customers may not be able to use some of the features that made having an account attractive in the first place.

Without incentives to shoot higher, banks usually settle for "Satisfactory" on their Community Reinvestment Act exams, but many find that not getting a better grade has consequences.

Pacific Continental in Eugene, Ore., has appointed two former directors of a bank it bought to its own board.

First Financial Bancorp in Cincinnati has made Brad Ringwald its president of community banking; named Paul Silva the president of investment commercial real estate; tapped Rick Dennen to oversee the company's national lending businesses; and said Roddell McCullough, director of community development, will take on more responsibility helping determine the strategy for that area.

The trade group challenged the NCUA's member business lending rules enacted in February, but also hinted that it is prepared to file another lawsuit should the agency move forward with a separate regulation that would expand credit unions' field of membership.

Live Oak Bancshares in Wilmington, N.C., has formed a renewable energy lending division.

Who knows more about customers than banks? With great data comes great responsibility, though. Banks are expected to show their customers they know them, but are held to a higher standard than, say, Netflix.

Opus Bank in Irvine, Calf., has given more responsibilities to its head of capital markets.

Making good on threats it had made previously, the Independent Community Bankers of America filed suit Wednesday against the National Credit Union Administration, claiming the agency's recent overhaul of its member business lending rules violate two different laws.

BancorpSouth in Tupelo, Miss., has hired Kyle Gilliam as president of its equipment finance and leasing division.

Meta Financial Group in Sioux Falls, S.D., has promoted Cynthia Smith, its head of technology and operations, to chief operating officer.

Under pressure from regulators and consumer advocates, brick-and-mortar banks are now offering overdraft-free accounts. But online-only and community banks still have them beat as the type and number of fees associated with big-bank checking have multiplied.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s recent statements encouraging new bank applications are promising, but some barriers to new charters may remain inside the FDIC and we are still waiting for the first de novo of 2016.

AltaPacific Bancorp in Santa Rosa, Calif., has agreed to buy Commerce Bank of Temecula Valley in Murrieta, Calif.

Rajinder P. Singh said he deliberated awhile before deciding he’s game for the challenge of succeeding John Kanas, and he sought to reassure any investors who had expected Kanas wouldn’t go without selling the bank.

The executive who sold North Fork to Capital One for billions of dollars and later revived BankUnited discusses his plans, and reflects on a long career, now that he is retiring as BankUnited's CEO.