There are fewer opportunities for upward mobility, and it's likely that the bank you go to work for will soon be merged out of existence. Is this the kind of environment that attracts the best and brightest?

Legacy Bank in Colwich, Kan., has reached its first deal in its 126-year history with an agreement to buy Alliant Bank in Sedgwick, Kan.

BancAlliance , a Chevy Chase, Md., asset management firm that helps small banks team up on large commercial loans, has raised $150 million in new capital that it will use to expand its lending network.

To address the squeeze that regulatory, media and consumer litigation pressures are placing on collection agencies, four collection industry veterans have joined to create Credit & Collection Certifications LLC.

A breakdown of M&A announcements for the week ended June 16.

MidSouth Bancorp (MSL) in Lafayette, La., announced Monday that it is buying two branches in Baton Rouge from rival Hancock Holding (HBHC).

Bank of Virginia (BOVA) in Midlothian is seeking more capital to fuel bank acquisitions following a prolonged restructuring.

Five years after embarking on a path to become a bank holding company, specialty lender CapitalSource is almost there. Tad Lowrey, the CEO of CapitalSource Bank, thinks the Fed will approve an application next year, now that company is "smaller, simpler and cleaner."

Bank of America (BAC) is in "advanced, exclusive discussions" about possibly selling its non-U.S. wealth management unit to Julius Baer for $1.5 billion to $2 billion, CNBC reported Monday.

Center Bancorp (CNBC) of Union, N.J., has taken another step in its plan to bulk up in northern New Jersey.

State regulators closed banks in Georgia, Florida and Tennessee on Friday, making June a busy month for failures.

Deal for Piraeus' Marathon Banking unit in U.S. satisfies Investors' M&A ambitions in New York for now, CEO Kevin Cummings says.

As with housing, different bank markets across the country have crashed and recovered at different speeds. Measured by institutions with high Texas ratios, stress has tapered quickly in states like Washington and California, but remains elevated in Georgia, Illinois and Florida.

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.

Residential Capital LLC rejected an offer from Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK/A), the holding company run by billionaire Warren Buffett, to be the initial bidder in proposed auctions of ResCap’s most valuable assets.

A Dallas-area investment group has applied to become a bank holding company so it could acquire a small bank outside of Austin.

Community bank Investors Bancorp Inc. agreed to acquire Piraeus Bank S.A.'s Marathon Banking Corp. unit for $135 million in cash, a move that doubles its presence in New York.

More banks may decide to sell if they conclude Congress will not renew the capital gains tax cut, Deloitte's Sharon Weinstein says.

A planned merger between two southern California banks has yet to close a year after the deal was announced because regulators have yet to approve it.

The more than $500 million that investors pumped into banks in the Tar Heel State has turned marginal players into consolidators, provided a way to absorb failures and instilled new discipline.