The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. took action against eight companies and lifted orders against eleven banks in December, according to its latest monthly roundup of enforcement actions.

Central Valley Community Bancorp (CVCY) in Fresno, Calif., has named James Ford president of its bank.

The Senate is poised to vote on a massive, five-year farm bill this week that includes several provisions important for community bankers and agricultural lenders.

There were a lot of deals last month involving larger community banks, and prices rose nearly 60% from a year earlier. The results will only feed more of those kinds of transactions.

In a speech Monday, Shaun Donovan said a housing trust fund must be part of housing finance reform legislation, including at least $5 billion a year to preserve and increase the supply of rentals for low-income families.

TGR Financial (TGR) in Naples, Fla., has added a former bank leader to its board.

Access National (ANCX) in Reston, Va., has named a veteran banker to joins its board.

A little-noticed charge taken by Regions Financial (RF) in the fourth quarter may portend that other banks will take similar losses on such modified loans, known as troubled debt restructurings.

ATM and branch locator apps can serve a valuable purpose for consumers seeking cash in unfamiliar territory, but there are many hurdles to keeping their data current and the machines properly branded.

Maria Contreras-Sweet, selected to succeed Karen Mills at the Small Business Administration, has a background in lending to Hispanic groups and women. But bankers hope she'll focus on shifting the SBA to more online loans.

Commercial and multifamily mortgage originations will grow to $300 billion in 2014 -- a 7% increase from last year, according to the latest forecast from the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Colonial Financial Services (COBK) in Vineland, N.J., has revised its third-quarter financial statements to reflect non-compliance with regulatory capital ratios.

First Bancshares (FBSI) in Mountain Grove, Mo., has completed its conversion from a thrift to a state-chartered bank.

Old National Bancorp (ONB) in Evansville, Ind., benefited from lower expenses in the fourth quarter.

UMB Financial (UMBF) Kansas City, Mo., has a new chief financial officer.

Contrary to sensationalistic headlines, community banks remain the lenders of choice for small businesses, who appreciate these institutions’ expertise and personal attention.

Cash Store Financial Group, which operates Cash Stores and Instaloans in British Columbia, Canada, has been ordered to repay more than $1 million to B.C. customers after allegedly charging them exorbitant interest rates on payday loans and charging extra to load the loans onto debit cards.

A U.S. district court judge in Florida has issued a contempt order against Bryon Wolf and Roy Eliasson, two people who operated a deceptive marketing scheme since 2009.

Attorneys Rusty Conner and Michael Reed are bringing their expertise in bank M&A and capital markets to law firm Covington & Burling.

The Idaho Department of Finance closed the $153.4 million-asset Syringa Bank in Boise on Friday. It was the first bank closed in the state in nearly five years.