Valley National Bank in Wayne, N.J., has a new chief administrative officer.

Chris Bauer, who navigated Anchor BanCorp through bankruptcy and an IPO, will stay with Old National in an unspecified role. Old National, meanwhile, has added Wisconsin to the list of states where it is looking for acquisitions.

Mary Kay Bates, who had been chief operating officer in January 2014, was promoted to president of the $724 million-asset bank in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

Bridgewater Bank in Bloomington, Minn., has agreed to buy First National Bank of the Lakes in Orono, Minn.

Old National Bancorp in Evansville, Ind., has agreed to buy Anchor BanCorp Wisconsin in Madison.

Consumers increasingly fell behind on their payments in several loan categories in the third quarter as economic growth cooled.

Raising capital has been tough for community banks ever since the financial crisis, especially the smallest ones. But a few firms have developed structured products that offer banks a chance to band together to raise needed Tier 1 capital at relatively low cost, while avoiding the regulatory ire that befell trust-preferred securities.

Old Fort Banking in Tiffin, Ohio, has sold a controlling interest to its employees. The Old Fort Employees Stock Ownership and 401(k) plan bought a 45% stake in Gillmor Financial Services, the holding company for the $471 million-asset Old Fort.

DNB Financial in Downingtown, Pa., said its chairman and chief executive, William Latoff, has died. He was 67.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is using outdated methodologies to define "brokered deposits," stigmatizing stable sources of funding and forcing banks to pay higher premiums, according to bankers and several outside groups.

The rule, set for 2018 implementation, would force companies to record gains and losses from equity investments on their income statements. That should create volatility for 50 to 70 institutions, mostly mutuals, that have such investments.

Eagle Bancorp in Bethesda, Md., has hired four bankers to a develop a business line making Federal Housing Administration-insured loans for multifamily rental properties.

Opus Bank in Irvine, Calif., will cut about 10% of its workforce and cancel contracts for redundant systems and services.

M&A momentum is building, even among larger banks that have been sidelined for years.

Merchants Bancshares in South Burlington, Vt., has named an interim principal financial officer after its chief financial officer resigned.

Live Oak Bancshares in Wilmington, N.C., one of the largest 7(a) program lenders in the U.S. last year, has promoted Greg Thompson to chief operating officer.

Associated Banc-Corp in Green Bay, Wis., will increase its fourth-quarter allowance for loan losses by $13 million to compensate for potential late payments or defaults on loans in its energy portfolio.

Patriot National Bancorp in Stamford, Conn., said that its chief financial officer resigned this week and that it has hired a former Connecticut community bank executive to replace her.

A compilation of our favorite stories of 2015, as selected by the people who assigned and edited them.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board is giving a handful of community banks a chance to explain why a plan to change the accounting for loan losses will result in major hardship. The proposal would force banks to record a loan-loss provision once a loan is originated, rather than when a loss becomes probable.