Robert Braswell, Georgia's banking commissioner, has learned a lot after seeing 74 banks fail in his state since 2008. He remains cautious about 2012 as his team emphasizes more risk control and corporate governance at the banks that remain.

So-called direct banks have become a favored avenue out of the shadow financial system, and into the federal safety net, for household names like General Electric, American Express and Discover.

With its deal for RBC Bank nearing completion, PNC takes a big step toward goal of reducing overhead by $150 million by early 2013.

A troubled Chicago-area community bank that just received a large capital infusion from its owners is now negotiating to restructure its loan with Cole Taylor Bank as it aims to rebuild its capital reserves.

Spain's Banco Santander SA said Monday it had reached the 9% core capital level demanded by the European Banking Association after taking measures in recent months to boost its solvency, including several asset sales.

Regions Financial Corp. is in advanced discussions to sell its Morgan Keegan & Co. brokerage unit to Raymond James Financial Inc. or Stifel Financial Corp. for between $900 million and $1 billion, according to people familiar with the situation.

PHILADELPHIA — NCUA this afternoon took People for People Community Development CU under conservatorship while it tries to nurse the troubled CDCU back to health.

Decisions to sell by some troubled banks prompted a spurt of deals last month, but M&A in 2011 was still the slowest in years. The economy and low valuations will quell any carryover effect.

Heritage Bank Inc. in Erlanger, Ky., has agreed to buy Farmers National Bank in Walton, Ky., in what would be the first acquisition in Heritage’s 21-year history.

Edwin Hale sold a million shares in the Baltimore company a week after leaving for a meager 2 cents each.

As Global Payments Inc. reported quarterly earnings, the processor announced a deal to purchase CyberSource's U.S. merchant-acquiring portfolio from Visa Inc.

He was wrong about Astoria in 2011, but Sandler O'Neill's Mark Fitzgibbon says a focus on multi-family lending and takeover speculation will fuel a run-up in 2012.

Colombia's largest lending institution, Bancolombia begins a public offering Friday for 64 million preferred shares worth $886 million.

In a setback to Citigroup's efforts to divest itself of noncore businesses, talks to sell the bank's OneMain consumer-lending unit to private-equity buyers have ended without a deal in place, according to people familiar with the matter.

Hancock Holding Co. has sold an insurance unit as part of a larger agreement with a Florida insurance company.

Much is at stake in UniCredit SpA's €7.5 billion rights issue — not least for another beleaguered lender, Bank of America Corp., which as a lead underwriter could be stuck with a hefty bill should the share sale fall flat.

University Bank in Ann Arbor, Mich., has acquired an additional 37.5% stake in a specialty finance firm in which it already half owned.

Cardinal Bankshares is fighting with an outside investor who wants to oust the company's chairman and CEO or force its sale.

Under orders from its regulator to improve its capital ratios, Community First Bank & Trust in Columbia, Tenn., is selling one of its 10 branches to Southern Community Bank in Tullahoma, Tenn., and could be looking to unload several more.

Analysts' failure to foresee declining earnings per share for the biggest banks last year hasn't stopped them from predicting an even bigger profit surge for 2012.