2016 was very good to these financial services executives, who succeeded where others failed, sold their businesses for large sums, felt the love of regulators or could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Carolina Alliance Bank in Spartanburg, S.C., is planning to form a holding company.

First Financial Bancorp in Cincinnati has converted its banking unit from a national charter to a state charter.

Mark Wierman, the chief lending officer at Ixonia Bank in Wisconsin, now has a second title: president.

Almost 40 years ago, a rock music legend asked a question that too many banks are failing to address today.

F&M Bank Corp. in Timberville, Va., has acquired Valley Southern Title in Harrisonburg, Va.

Shivan Govindan, chairman of First NBC Bank in New Orleans, has taken on the task of salvaging a bank that is reeling from accounting issues and a substantial capital requirement from regulators.

From the industry repercussions of Trump's election victory to the rise of the robots in financial services, these are American Banker's most popular stories of 2016.

Capital One Financial in McLean, Va., is facing regulatory delays as it looks to buy a credit card business from outdoor equipment chain Cabela's.

Proponents of "recap and release" misread the political risks and the depth of interest that key lawmakers have in determining the long-term future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Hancock Holding in Gulfport, Miss., has agreed to buy nine branches and about $1.3 billion in loans from First NBC Bank in New Orleans.

From Dimon's campaign against earnings guidance to the bottom-line implications of rising rates, here are more of our favorite stories of the year. (See part I here.)

Kenneth Mahon, the new CEO of Dime Community Bank, wants to reduce the 152-year-old institution's multifamily exposure by diversifying into other asset classes. But finding new business amid already fierce competition could be an immense challenge for Dime — and other community banks — in 2017.

Businesses, governments, universities and the Federal Reserve all struggle to adequately reflect the populations they serve. It's time to take ownership of diversity outcomes.

Hope Bancorp in Los Angeles will close an additional nine branches next year as part of a second round of cost cutting.

PHH is selling its remaining residential mortgage servicing portfolio to the real estate investment trust New Residential.

Dime Community Bancshares in Brooklyn, N.Y., will record a one-time charge after approving changes to its employee stock ownership plan.

Daryl Tressler will retire as president and CEO of MainSource Bank in Greensburg, Ind., at the end of this year.

Bank of Montreal's Bill Downe, the longest serving chief executive officer among Canada's biggest lenders, said he has no immediate plans for retirement even after a management shuffle at the company.

Green Bancorp's aggressive plan to attack its credit quality troubles and do what few Texas banks once would have dreamed of – quit energy lending – make it a subject of debate and a community bank to watch closely in 2017.