Small-business lending will be crucial to the future of the American economy. But community banks' ability to make loans to friends and neighbors they know depends in part on a supportive regulatory environment.

McKenzie Banking in McKenzie, Tenn., has agreed to buy Farmers Bank in Woodland Mills, Tenn.

The Department of Justice announced a $4.9 million settlement Tuesday with CommerceWest Bank of Irvine, Calif., over charges that the bank knowingly worked with a third-party processor making illegal withdrawals from consumer bank accounts.

Telecommuting isn't new for front-office loan officers, but in an increasingly competitive hiring environment, some mortgage lenders now let their underwriters work from home, too.

Thomas Depping would have been content to keep making small-business loans through his Houston-area bank, but regulatory pressure led him to give up his charter and form a nonbank lender with the same business model.

Few would dispute that the U.S. ought to move to a faster payment system. But the hurdles to modernizing the infrastructure are daunting, said participants in a panel at this week's Retail Banking 2015 conference.

Tiered regulation could bring about a number of useful changes for regional banks, including a more customized approach to determining capital adequacy and simplified resolution planning requirements.

Great Western Bancorp in Sioux Falls, S.D., plans to record a spike in credit costs during the first quarter as it deals with issues tied to certain commercial loans.

Western Alliance Bancorp. in Phoenix has agreed to buy Bridge Capital Holdings in San Jose, Calif.

U.S. Bank and Old National Bancorp were the only two American bank companies named to the Ethisphere Institute's 2015 World's Most Ethical Companies list.

New York's Amalgamated Bank is hoping to do more business with political action committee and left-leaning customers as its retail business shrinks.

Joseph Stilwell hopes a fourth challenge against Harvard Illinois Bancorp is successful.

MSB Financial, the holding company of Millington Savings Bank, has filed to pursue a mutual-to-stock conversion.

When regulators use asset size as a yardstick, they impose unnecessary rules on larger financial institutions that employ traditional banking models.

Fauquier Bankshares in Warrenton, Va., has begun a search to find its next president and chief executive.

CertusHoldings in Greenville, S.C., has agreed to sell its small business finance unit to BankUnited in Miami Lakes, Fla.

Veritex Holdings in Dallas has agreed to buy IBT Bancorp in Irving, Texas.

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