Michael Tierney's challenge next year at Flagstar Bancorp is twofold: find ways to go on the offensive while continuing to resolve lingering issues at the Michigan company.

Dan Bass has left FBR Capital Markets to establish an investment banking platform at Performance Trust Capital Partners.

Oneida Financial in New York is expanding its insurance business with its purchase of McMahon, Fenaroli and White, which operates Schenectady Insuring Agency in Schenectady.

Every banker is under scrutiny, but last year we pegged 10 executives as potential news makers for 2012. Some made big headlines; others seemed to get through the year without making much noise. Here is a recap.

Fulton Financial has agreed to sell a payments business to Canadian group.

Both community banks and large banks in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey are reporting growth in profits for the third quarter as loan quality improved and nonperforming loans and chargeoffs dropped.

Hedge funds and private-equity firms are betting on delinquent home loans being sold by the FHA as the government agency accelerates debt sales to avert a bailout and stem foreclosures.

Armed with $350 million in capital and an expanded infrastructure, the CEO of National Bank in Colorado will be on the hunt for acquisitions in the new year.

First Bank & Trust in Brookings, S.D., has agreed to buy a prepaid card portfolio from Inter National Bank in McAllen, Texas. First Bank did not disclose the price it will pay for the $21 million portfolio.

A breakdown of M&A announcements in the financial services industry for the week ended December 15.

Daniel Cantara 3rd, an 11-year veteran of First Niagara, will oversee all parts of the Buffalo, N.Y., bank that deal directly with customers.

Arvest Bank, the nation's third-largest privately held bank, agreed to buy 29 branches from Bank of America (BAC).

Community Trust Financial of Ruston, La., has received a $45 million investment from Pine Brook, a New York private-equity firm, the two firms announced Monday.

Bankia SA, the largest Spanish bank due to receive a European bailout, plans to seek buyers for its Florida unit early next year in a sale that may fetch at least $500 million, people with knowledge of the matter said.

Sterling Financial (STSA) in Spokane, Wash., will buy three branches around Seattle from a unit of Boston Private Financial (BPFH).

Bad debt in Williston, N.D., a town in an oil region in the western part of the state, has reached $434,000, more than triple last year's total of $121,000.

Kevin Cummings makes our list of Community Bankers to Watch as his New Jersey mutual thrift mulls a second-step conversion and possible acquisitions around New York.

A healthy bank preemptively sells. Unspent capital burns a hole in a private-equity investor's pocket. A niche player waves the white flag. These are among six deal scenarios you'll see repeatedly next year.

Investors Bancorp's Kevin Cummings says the mutual thrift is ready to take the next step in its process of converting to a publicly owned company.

After doing two deals in 2012, Investors Bancorp's Kevin Cummings is ready to consider more worthwhile acquisitions.