Affluent customers deserve special attention, but banks have to think outside of the box to improve loyalty and customer satisfaction with this important customer segment.

Univest Corp. of Pennsylvania in Souderton has agreed to buy Fox Chase Bancorp in Hatboro, Pa., for $244.3 million.

Washington Federal is the latest bank to partner with a tech company in an effort to streamline online loan applications.

Eagle Bancorp in Bethesda, Md., has added equipment leasing to its lineup of commercial banking products.

Enterprise Financial Services in Clayton, Mo., has reached an agreement to end loss-share agreements tied to the four failed banks it acquired during the financial crisis.

Small-business owners' optimism about the economy is dwindling, which casts a dark cloud over banks' lending efforts, according to a new survey conducted by Wells Fargo and Gallup.

Why a small bank like First Mid-Illinois ignored the conventional wisdom — 'Commercial banks buy property/casualty firms.' 'Private-equity will outbid you.' 'Leave the innovation to the big guys.' — and bought a retail health-insurance agency.

An activist investor has called on the lead director of Banc of California in Irvine to disclose details about Chairman and Chief Executive Steven Sugarman's involvement in an investment fund that violated securities laws.

Scituate Federal Savings Bank in Scituate, Mass., and S-Bank in Weymouth, Mass., have merged and changed the name of the surviving institution.

The core-processing vendor FIS wants to dream big like fintech startups when it comes to developing future services, but it also seeks to be large enough to offer multiple services in an era when banks are cutting back on third-party providers.

Some of BBCN's directors actually favored a deal with Hanmi to cement its position as the nation's biggest Korean-American bank. That disclosure could spur Hanmi to make a direct appeal to BBCN's shareholders in coming months.

Two independent mortgage banks agreed to settlements in the past week with the Justice Department for failing to meet Federal Housing Administration guidelines. The cases are a warning to nonbank lenders that they need to beef up self-reporting of deficiencies, and they remind large banks about the legal risks associated with FHA lending.

Peoples Financial Services in Scranton, Pa., has bought a retirement planning operation.

Codorus Valley Bancorp in York, Pa., plans to sell $30 million of stock to fund its exit from the Small Business Lending Fund program.

BBCN Bancorp in Los Angeles has agreed to buy Wilshire Bancorp in Los Angeles.

The $641 million-asset mutual thrift promoted Scott Cote to chairman, according to a Friday news release.

The $3.2 billion-asset mutual thrift will close offices in Howland, Farmington, Hartland and East Millinocket, Maine. The proposed closings require regulatory approval.

California Bank & Trust in San Diego has given its chief financial officer the additional titles of president and chief operating officer.