Susquehanna Bancshares Inc. in Lititz, Pa., reported Wednesday that its fourth-quarter earnings nearly doubled from a year earlier, to $19.1 million, on improvements in areas such as lending, fee income and a reduction of problem assets.

John Keach Jr., the chairman and CEO of Indiana Community Bancorp, which agreed to sell to a rival this week, speaks for many bankers in ticking off the threats to going it alone as a community bank — and explains why his bank decided it had to get out now.

Prepaid card companies have had great success at attracting the underbanked, but their prices remain high compared to banks' — and they might have no choice but to keep them high.

The Michigan company reported its fourth straight annual loss, despite a dogged attempt to harness problem credits.

Two deals last week by Sumitomo Mitsui, and economic conditions in Japan, have sparked speculation among U.S. investment bankers whether Sumitomo and others want to buy more banking assets here.

Increased consumer spending had executives from TSYS singing the praises of solid fourth-quarter earnings and, for the time being, soft-pedaling the potential future loss of Green Dot's processing business.

Cullen/Frost Bankers Inc. in San Antonio said Wednesday that its fourth-quarter earnings rose 4% from a year earlier, due to improvements in credit quality and earning assets.

BankUnited Inc., which last week confirmed a short-lived effort to sell itself, said Wednesday that its fourth-quarter earnings rose nearly 50% from a year earlier, to $41 million.

The Evansville, Ind., bank is at it again, agreeing to buy Indiana Community Bancorp. Old National bought the failed Integra Bank last year and later resold some of its branches.

Iberiabank Corp.'s reported increased quarterly earnings Wednesday, though merger-related costs and impairment charges caused the company to fall shy of Wall Street's expectations.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine's office has launched the Local Government Collections Services Program to help municipal and county governments collect debts.

Trustmark Corp. in Jackson, Miss., said late Tuesday that fourth-quarter net income fell 10% from a quarter earlier, to $24.3 million.

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BancorpSouth Inc. in Tupelo, Miss., raised $109.3 million in a common stock offering, a week after the company reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings.

The prepaid card marketer Green Dot said Tuesday that it is purchased some assets of eCommLink, allowing it to move its processing in-house.

Southwest Bancorp Inc. in Stillwater, Okla., on Tuesday posted a fourth-quarter loss after shedding $300 million in problem assets through a bulk loan sale.

Executives at Regions are overhauling their deposit business and readying for an eventual exit from Tarp now that they have a deal in place to sell their brokerage unit to Raymond James.

Trepp LLC's Matthew Anderson on the disadvantages giant banks face and why midsize banks will survive.

Banks need to increase revenue, and deals are tempting. But shareholders want buybacks and dividends. KeyCorp CEO Beth Mooney discusses the tough calls banks like hers face in the current economic climate.

Wilbur Ross says in an email to American Banker that BankUnited tried to sell only after an unnamed investment bank told management it could fetch a "substantial premium above market."