On the West Coast, bankers are talking about starting new banks after a long period with scarcely any new charters, according to industry consultant and former California regulator Walter Mix. While in the aftermath of the crisis regulators seemed to have an unofficial moratorium on de novos, they now appear poised to evaluate applications on the merits, he says. Meanwhile, banks seeking approvals for mergers today can expect to be evaluated on a host of compliance matters, including unfair and deceptive acts and practices, Mix says.

Brian Bailey, who oversaw Wilmington Trust's lending activity in Delaware, conspired to conceal the company's actual financial condition, according to a news release issued Monday by the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Equity Bank in Wichita, Kan., has agreed to sell two Kansas City branches to TriCentury Bank in Simpson, Kan.

Peoples Bancorp in Marietta, Ohio, has agreed to buy NB&T Financial Group in Wilmington, Ohio.

When consumer groups sent mystery shoppers into big-bank branches to learn about overdraft coverage, they were given information that was incomplete, confusing or flat-out wrong, according to a new report.

First Commerce Credit Union in Tallahassee, Fla., has agreed to buy First National Bank of Crestview in Florida.

Severn Bancorp in Annapolis, Md., has reported a loss for the second quarter, following a revision to its initial quarterly results.

NorthStar Bank once relied on its investment portfolio to drive revenue. It recently changed course, targeting loans and customers in search of a better future.

Carolina Alliance Bank in Spartanburg, S.C., has agreed to buy the operations of a local commercial leasing office.

Digital channels are not strategies in and of themselves, writes Kevin Tynan. In fact, three important customer groups are unlikely to be swayed by mass emails and pay-per-click advertising.

MutualBank in Muncie, Ind., said it has closed the acquisition of Summit Mortgage, in Fort Wayne.

Bank of the Ozarks' deal to buy Intervest Bancshares looks a bit odd on paper because the two are very different and operation in different of parts of the country. However, Intervest would give Ozarks a commercial lending niche it lacks.

Banks, especially small to midsize ones, have been rewarded with strong loan growth this year. But heavy competition and uncertain economic forecasts are forcing them to keep fine-tuning their growth strategies, asset mixes and risk tolerance.

Amalgamated Bank in New York has given its president, Keith Mestrich, the additional title of chief executive.

Rich Weaver has retired as commissioner of the Missouri Division of Finance.

Liberty Bank in New Orleans reached agreement a year ago to acquire First Tuskegee Bank in Alabama. But the deal has remained in limbo ever since, and it shows that buyers and sellers can take little for granted in bank M&A.

Essex Bank in Richmond, Va., recently launched a wholesale mortgage funding group.

Bank of the Ozarks in Little Rock, Ark., has agreed to buy Intervest Bancshares in New York for $228.5 million in stock.

The troubled Greenville, S.C., bank lost $15 million in the second quarter, its first quarterly results since a new management team replaced the three founders who were fired in April. Moreover, local NAACP leaders have raised concerns about the firings, which they say sent a toxic message to the local African-American community.

Sun Bancorp in Mount Laurel, N.J., reported a second-quarter loss due to one-time charges related to its ongoing restructuring efforts.