Community banks that try to serve too broad an array of customers will wind up losing out to larger competitors. They would do better to focus on one or two customer segments and familiarize themselves with those groups' specific habits and needs.

Yadkin Financial in Elkin, N.C., will pay its former leader $2.2 million over the next year as part of an ongoing management transition.

First National Bankers Bankshares in Baton Rouge, La., has agreed to buy Independent Bankers' Bank of Florida for $1.9 million.

Salin Bank & Trust in Indianapolis has named a new chief executive after Bill Salin II, son of the bank's founder, announced his retirement.

BOK Financial has hired Glenn Brunker to oversee mortgage operations and manage the bank's transition to a new federally-required consolidated mortgage disclosure regime.

Cadence Bank in Birmingham, Ala., has closed three branches in Alabama and plans to close five more in Mississippi and Texas, the Birmingham News reported.

Providence Bank in Columbia, Mo., has acquired Community First Bancorp in Fairview Heights, Ill.

Diane Bailey Morton was named the $1.6 billion-asset C1's chief human capital officer and general counsel, while Dustin Symes will head up retail lending operations.

The former FDIC chairman said during a recent conference call that banks with a traditional model — essentially community banks — have been hurt by the Fed's interest rate policy and the trickle-down tactics of regulation.

First Choice Bank, in Cerritos, Calif., has raised $30 million from a secondary stock offering.

South Shore Bank in South Weymouth, Mass., has named new chief executive and chief operating officers.

Clifford Isroff, the lead director of FirstMerit in Akron, Ohio, died Tuesday after a long illness. He was 79.

The chief executive officers of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may see more than a sixfold increase in their compensation to $4 million in spite of objections from President Barack Obama's administration and some lawmakers.

Anchor BanCorp Wisconsin in Madison said it expects to save about $5.4 million yearly after it completed an employee buyout, sold a branch, closed six branches and introduced a new branch staffing model.

Riverview Financial in Harrisburg, Pa., has promoted its president to chief executive after its previous CEO retired, and delayed its planned acquisition of a western Pennsylvania community bank.

BancorpSouth in Tupelo, Miss., has again extended the deadline to complete its acquisitions of Central Community in Temple, Texas, and Ouachita Bancshares in Monroe, La.

Nearly 85% of the acquisitions announced this year have involved sellers with $500 million or less in assets. Investment bankers expect more of the same in the final six months of this year.

Banks looking to improve their sales should follow a simple rule of thumb: the more friendly, casual chats staffers have with current and potential customers, the more business they create.

After it all but stopped making real estate and development loans following the housing crash, Farmers & Merchants Bank has increased its real estate loans by more than 61% over the last two years. It's a figure that's likely to keep rising as California's real estate market heats up and the $5.6 billion-asset bank continues to add commercial real estate, construction and mortgage lending specialists to keep pace.

BB&T in Winston-Salem, N.C., has provided five top executives with nearly 3 million reasons to successfully integrate Susquehanna Bancshares in Lititz, Pa.