To brace for stress in the energy sector, Cullen/Frost Bankers in San Antonio, Texas, recently boosted its reserves on oil-related loans to 3% — while competitors like Hancock Holding and Wells Fargo have set even higher reserve levels. "The mix of loans is very different," says Dick Evans, chairman and CEO of the Texas bank.

It is time for institutions to act independently of the Federal Reserve and raise their loan interest rates to improve returns.

JPMorgan Chase said it would need to boost reserves for impaired energy loans by $1.5 billion if oil prices hold at about $25 a barrel over 18 months.

Bank Mutual in Milwaukee has agreed to support an activist investor's nominee to its board.

Patricia Watson joined the board of the $19 billion-asset Texas Capital on Friday. Watson has been chief information officer at TSYS, a payments processor based in Columbus, Ga., since September.

There's nothing like the threat of a corporate relocation to prod government economic development officials into action.

When Andrew Samuel joined Sunshine Bancorp in 2014, it had a casual culture where growth wasn't a big focus. Less than two years later, he has turned the company into a commercial bank with growth — and acquisitions — firmly in its future.

For all the technology banks have to help them deliver personalized service, the overall customer experience remains a challenge.

South Dakota Bancshares in Pierre, S.D., has agreed to buy First State Bank in Pierre.

With the stakes so high for compliance officers, their rights and responsibilities should be clearly defined, including a safe harbor for those who play by the rules.

Industry pundits have been predicting the demise of the branch since the dawn of online account access 20 years ago, but digital services haven't replaced branches. They have just increased the contact banks have with their customers. That's won't change anytime soon.

CCB Bankshares in South Hill, Va., has raised $3.5 million in a private placement of debt and will use some of the money to exit the Small Business Lending Fund.

Bridgewater Savings Bank in Raynham, Mass., said that its chief executive, James Lively, will retire on Dec. 5 and that Peter Dello Russo, its president and chief operating officer, will succeed him.

The NCUA's decision to expand member business lending has sparked a renewed effort by banks to press lawmakers to eliminate credit unions' tax-exempt status. The NCUA's board meeting also ended with awkward acrimony between two of its own members.

It may not quite live up to his Oscar-nominated role in "The Buddy Holly Story," but Gary Busey certainly made an impression on Jim Hughes in a new television ad for Unity Bank.

CommunityOne Bancorp entered 2015 with hopes of buying banks and nonbanks. Shortly after whiffing on several deals, the North Carolina company ended up selling itself to Capital Bank Financial.

Not only does evidence point to small banks escaping interchange restrictions — as Congress intended — but there are also signs smaller institutions are gaining retail market share because of the exemption.

WASHINGTON — Federal bank regulators unveiled an interim final rule Friday allowing highly rated community banks to qualify for a less-stringent 18-month examination cycle.