If banking is under attack, then chief financial officers are the defenders of the realm. Equipped with the numbers, they are uniquely positioned to bring the credible answers their stakeholders seek and the changes their companies need.

They spent their formative years analyzing balance sheets saddled with problem assets. They watched their mentors struggle to keep their banks afloat through the crisis. And they took good notes.

Our new special reports and proprietary research profile the key executives flanking the CEOs at financial institutions and explore how their roles have evolved. First up: the chief financial officer.

In March, American Banker Research conducted an in-depth online survey of 52 bank chief financial officers from American Banker's readership as part of our inaugural C-Suite Series. The respondents were from banks with less than $10 billion in assets, with vast majority coming from banks with $100 million to $1 billion in assets. They were asked how they spend their time, where they would like to take their careers and how they are handling the unprecedented challenges of today's banking environment. Among the insights revealed from the survey: Basel III hasn't been a big deal for the top line — yet; few CFOs are focused on mergers and acquisitions; and many of them consider their roles strategic. Highlights from the research follow.

Of the nearly 5,000 institutions that fit our criteria for this ranking, these are the 500 most profitable as measured by their three-year average return on equity.

Regulators' latest guide for examining anti-laundering procedures lacks wholesale changes, but institutions still must decipher minute changes with potentially big impacts.

As more community banks switch to a universal banker model, they are also finding that it can take a year — or more — to properly train those employees.

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 from our social media platforms.

FirstBank in Lexington, Tenn., has agreed to buy Northwest Georgia Bank in Ringgold.

Ocwen Financial's shares jumped 19% to more than $10 a share as of late morning Friday, the day after it reported a first-quarter profit and highlighted an expansion into mortgage lending.

Hanmi Financial has opened loan production offices in New York and Georgia.

First BanCorp in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has been released from a consent order with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Too many bank customers feel disgruntled after interactions with their financial institutions' digital tools, calling centers and branches. Banks can solve the problem by taking a page from brands that have successfully marketed themselves as being on the customer's side.

Simmons First National in Pine Bluff, Ark., has agreed to buy Ozark Trust and Investment Corp. in Springfield, Mo.

Patricia Goldstein, the commercial real estate finance pioneer, veteran workout banker and mentor of many of today's top female executives, died Thursday in Highland Beach, Fla. She was 69.

The $129 million-asset bank said in a press release Thursday that Robert O’Donnell will remain its chairman even though he is retiring as CEO.

Hudson City Bancorp in Paramus, N.J., reported a staggering plunge in earnings after an unexpected delay of its sale to M&T Bank.

Banks' customer-satisfaction ratings are at a 10-year high, according to a new study by J.D. Power. The research firm identified the top-rated banks in each region, and found that the postmillennial generation has a thing for the megabanks.

The regulator is monitoring pricing, along with loan covenants and repayment schedules, as bankers compete for loans. Several bankers have noted recently that paydowns rose in the first quarter as competitors dangled relaxed terms to steal clients.

HarborOne Bank announced Wednesday that it will acquire Merrimack Mortgage Co. Terms of the transaction are undisclosed.