Competitive pressure and revenue challenges are creating a need for executives to focus more on strategic planning, and CFOs want a piece of the action. Unfortunately, many CFOs are bogged down with checklists and mundane tasks.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of AmericanBanker.com articles and our social media platforms.

The clock is ticking to amend Dodd-Frank Act regulations before consumers in rural communities run out of borrowing options, community bankers from Kansas and Oklahoma told a House panel on Thursday.

FirstMerit reached out to a foreign bank last fall in an effort to negotiate a sale, but the Ohio company eventually agreed to sell itself to Huntington Bancshares for $3.4 billion.

"The CFO's role is evolving from bean counter to enterprise value architect," says Aneel Delawalla, managing director for CFO & Enterprise Value at Accenture.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has given community banks and other small companies more flexibility to issue private stock, but even more flexibility should be granted to fulfill congressional intent.

WSFS Financial Corporation in Wilmington, Del., is looking to raise $100 million through the sale of notes and plans to use the proceeds for a range of purposes, including possible acquisitions.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp in Lodi, Calif., has agreed to buy Delta National Bancorp in Manteca, Calif.

Trustmark in Jackson, Miss., reduced its workforce by more than 6% by offering early retirement packages.

Wintrust Financial in Rosemont, Ill., is planning to raise about $160 million through a common stock offering.

Highlands Bancorp in Vernon, N.J., has raised $7.5 million to exit the Small Business Lending Fund.

A longtime California bank regulator and executive has joined the board at Hanmi Financial in Los Angeles.

The financial crisis, and its aftermath, created a new layer of regulation to consider. A growing need to fund technology projects and an uncertain rate environment have only made it harder to forecast revenue and expenses.

Aneel Delawalla, managing director at Accenture, offers advice on how bank CFOs can carve out more time for strategic planning, as demands from regulators and investors increase.

Most banks will be content to let the rate chasers walk if CD rates rise, but they'll still need to hike payouts if they hope to keep pace with the competitors. Question is, how far will they go to retain their best customers?

Hot demand for shares of Enterprise Bancorp in Lowell, Mass., has prompted the bank to double the size of its secondary offering.

A push for having an independent chairman gained traction immediately after the financial crisis. Years later, the effort seems to be losing momentum.

The $1.7 billion-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing Monday that it recently agreed to buy a 25% stake in ASC Trust Corp. in Hagatna.

First Federal Bank of Wisconsin in Waukesha has a new chief executive lined up.

Community banks are jumping at the chance to invest in local bond issues, realizing that such participation allows them to show their dedication to hometown causes.