De novo institutions

Spirit Community Bank is the 15th bank to get the agency's approval this year. That list also includes Community Bank of the Carolinas, which was approved in early December.

More banks were approved this year than any since the financial crisis. But challenges with raising capital, and a change in the political landscape, could deter prospective applicants next year.

The FDIC has approved more new banks this year than in the last four years combined. Here is a look at the class of 2018.

Millyard Bank aims to become the state's second post-crisis de novo. Primary Bank opened in 2015.

Readers sound off on the CFPB's name change, whether the Post Office should be allowed to engage in banking services and the FDIC's call to revamp the de novo process.

The agency's request for comment about the deposit insurance application process is among a series of actions aimed at streamlining charter applications.

A pipeline of new banks is critical to the long-term health of the industry and communities across the country, argues FDIC Chairman Jelena McWilliams.

Organizers of Community Bank of the Carolinas still need to raise $25 million and secure approval from the state's banking commissioner.

Murals on the walls and pizza parties are just a couple of ways Studio Bank is trying to court music and entertainment clients as part of a broader niche-lending strategy.

Building alliances with startups is the most affordable route for community banks that want to offer innovative services, but industry officials cautioned that they must be balanced with smart internal investments, too.