First Farmers Financial in Converse, Ind., has agreed to buy Citizens Exchange Bank in Fairmount, Ind.

Monetary incentive plans are vital for keeping your best employees, but sometimes other gestures that cost basically nothing make a bigger impact.

The $12.6 billion-asset United said in a press release Monday that it will pay $269 million, or $37 a share, in stock for the $1.2 billion-asset Bank of Georgetown.

The $9.3 billion-asset Bank of the Ozarks said in a press release Monday that it will pay $402.5 million, or $25 a share, in stock for the $1.7 billion-asset C1 Financial.

National Bank Holdings in Greenwood Village, Colo., has negotiated an early termination of the loss-share agreements that backed up its acquisitions of two failed banks.

Forget "bigger is better." Several private-equity-backed lenders are making loans to small landlords, who represent the biggest chunk of the home-rental market and get less help from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac than they once did.

Boston Private Financial Holdings' president, Mark Thompson, has announced plans to retire at the end of the year.

Parke Bancorp in New Jersey decided to sell its SBA lending business when it realized the group had national aspirations. Berkshire Hills Bancorp, a larger bank in Massachusetts, was pleased to buy the unit.

Banc of California in Irvine has named James McKinney its new chief financial officer. McKinney joined the $6.4 billion-asset bank in September as chief accounting officer.

Grayson Bankshares in Independence, Va., and Cardinal Bankshares in Floyd, Va., have agreed to merge to form a new holding company.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board's proposal to start loss reserves when a loan is originated is antithetical to banks making localized financial decisions.

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The unprecedented accommodative interest rate environment has spurred banks to offer long-term loans at very low rates of return, and if the cost of funds goes up — especially if it goes up more dramatically than expected — it could put depository institutions in a tough position.

Sometimes it's for the best to end a complicated relationship. At least that's the view of some bankers who have negotiated early terminations of their FDIC loss-sharing agreements.

Meta Financial Group in Sioux Falls, S.D., has promoted Cindy Smith to the newly created position of head of technology and operations.

First Guaranty Bancshares in Hammond, La., has decided to again test the market for an IPO. The $1.4 billion-asset company in December postponed a stock offering that would have raised around $65 million, as concerns mounted about the impact the slide in oil prices would have on the bank.

Evans Bancorp in Hamburg, N.Y., said that its chief financial officer has left to pursue other interests.

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Puget Sound Bank in Bellevue, Wash., is preparing to form a holding company.

Incommons Bank in Mexia, Texas, has agreed to buy two branches from Allegiance Bancshares in Houston.