Deposit balances have declined for two consecutive quarters, threatening a low-cost source of funding for many institutions. American Banker editors discuss the implications and how bankers are responding.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. As excerpted from the Comments sections of AmericanBanker.com articles.

Iberiabank Corp. (IBKC) in Layfayette, La., has agreed to buy Synovus Financial (SNV) operations in Memphis.

While 10.7 million residential homeowners nationwide owe at least 25% or more on their mortgages than their properties are worth, another 8.3 million homeowners are on track to have enough equity to sell sometime in the next 15 months, according to a new report.

F.N.B. Corp. (FNB) in Pittsburgh has launched the first fund from its new small-business investment company.

Standard Financial (STND) in Monroeville, Pa., plans to delist from the Nasdaq and cease reporting with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

HomeStreet (HMST) in Seattle has expanded its mortgage business in the Golden State, opening six offices in Northern and Central California.

Recent acquisitions by MB Financial and PacWest illustrate how deals can add value. M&A is returning as a valid alternative for implementing strategy that will reshape the industry.

Arvest Bank of Fayetteville, Ark., has bought the naming rights to a historic theater in downtown Kansas City four years after entering the market.

City Holding (CHCO) in Charleston, W.Va., said it will close a branch in Virginia Beach after determining that the location had an undesirable deposit mix.

The recent court ruling on debit interchange fees should remind the payments industry how harmful the Durbin amendment is.

DUBUQUE, Iowa – DuTrac CU is opening a branch inside Davenport’s West High School on Monday.

RENO, Nev. – United FCU, a Michigan credit union that gained a foothold here with the 2010 acquisition of Clearstar FCU, this week broke ground on a new, 6,500-square-foot branch.

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – RIA FCU broke ground on a new corporate center, which will include executive offices along with back office departments and a full-service branch.

Bank of America can't be sued by unified groups of homeowners in different states over its failure to modify mortgages, a federal judge in Boston ruled.

New York State's chief banking regulator is tightening the screws on banks that lend to landlords, increasing the requirements for Community Reinvestment Act credit.

A legal safe harbor designed to protect lenders that make "qualified mortgage" loans from consumer lawsuits is likely to expose institutions to potentially even greater liability, according to several banking experts.

The decision by private-equity backers of Sterling Financial to push for a sale of the entire Spokane company, rather than to merely unload their shares, surprised investors. It also showed that investor exits are a complex business which often defy expectations.

Frank and George Hamlin at Canandaigua National are turning letter writing into an art form as they rail against a wave of new bank regulation.

Failures, mergers and charter consolidations have all played a role in the latest decline, but what's really driving down the numbers is the lack of de novos.