Berkshire Hills Bancorp in Pittsfield, Mass., has named a new president and chief operating officer for its bank.

Four Oaks Fincorp in Four Oaks, N.C., has named Deanna Hart chief financial officer of the company and its bank.

Lenders that allow borrowers to shop for third-party settlement services face new liability, as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's integrated mortgage disclosure rules will let borrowers sue over problems with vendor lists.

The rankings of the Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance include some familiar faces (KeyCorp's Beth Mooney of course), but also plenty of newcomers (including U.S. Bancorp's Kathy Rogers, JPMorgan Chase's Thasunda Duckett and Wells Fargo's Yvette Hollingsworth Clark). We also look at efforts to bring more women into boardrooms and have an op-ed by the CEO of HSBC USA.

Politicians who support the idea of banking as a public utility may not be very concerned with the fate of community banks. Rather than say so directly, they gloss over the facts.

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.

Porter Bancorp in Louisville, Ky., has Edmond Seifried to its board. Seifried, 68, is executive director of the Sheshunoff Affiliation Program, which provides education and an idea exchange to community bankers.

Sound Financial Bancorp in Seattle has hired a former Federal Home Loan Bank executive as chief administrative officer of its bank.

Premier Financial Bancorp in Huntington, W.Va., has hired a former BB&T executive as its bank president and chief executive.

Western Alliance Bancorp's Bridge Bank in San Jose, Calif., has created a lending group to focus on the life sciences sector.

River Valley Bancorp could face a challenge from an investor who is upset over some of the Madison, Ind., company’s policies and procedures.

Community banks’ marketing efforts should aim to go beyond increasing brand visibility to engage customers face to face.

American banks long ago deserted their most impoverished communities. Today, post offices are uniquely well positioned to serve the underbanked population — and perhaps reinvigorate a culture of saving in the process.

Washington Federal in Seattle said its chief financial officer, Diane Kelleher, plans to step down at yearend.

Severn Bancorp in Annapolis, Md., has hired a former Susquehanna Bancshares executive as its chief lending officer.

In an effort to get a head start on the feeding frenzy, Malvern Federal Savings Bank in Paoli, Pa., will hold job fairs to gobble up employees laid off by BB&T in Pennsylvania.

The acquisition would be Alerus' first since it bought Private Bank Minnesota in Minneapolis in June 2014. The Beacon deal would boost Alerus' total assets in Minnesota to about $771 million.

While banks have significantly decreased their problem assets from their 2010 peak, sour credits remain much higher than in 2006. A number of banks have been reluctant to sell these assets because of low interest rates and a struggle to find better investments.

The Federal Reserve Board has approved enhancements to its automated clearing house service that will require its banks to process same-day payments.

Catskill Hudson Bank in Kingston, N.Y., has hired Orville Aarons as its president. Aarons, a former director at Naugatuck Valley Financial, had been working as a consultant to Catskill Hudson since April.