ValueAct Capital Management has amassed a stake in American Express, people with knowledge of the matter said, as the activist fund considers pursuing shareholder-friendly changes at the credit-card issuer.

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week, including a critical look at the Fed's post-crisis monetary policies and a bid to make the funding community groups receive from banks more transparent.

Cordia Bancorp found an experienced leader to run its bank, and executive recruiters believe more companies could do the same as they try to train the next generation. One problem: Most retired CEOs seem content to sit on the sidelines after enduring the financial crisis.

Bryn Mawr Bank in Pennsylvania has issued $30 million in subordinated debt.

Heritage Financial in Olympia, Wash., has agreed to an early termination of its Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. loss-share agreements for its purchase of two failed banks in 2010.

Capital One Financial is in exclusive talks with General Electric to buy the company's health-care finance unit, people familiar with the matter said.

Bank of America is offering $1.2 billion of mostly delinquent home loans, extending a series of sales by lenders seeking to pare holdings and meet demand by investment firms for soured mortgages.

BB&T will dismiss most of a 21-person small business lending group who had been employed by Susquehanna Bancshares.

Standard Treasury team joined SVB Financial's information technology team this week to help it expand the bank's digital banking platform.

Blue Valley Ban Corp. in Overland Park, Kan., has obtained regulatory approval to redeem its Troubled Asset Relief program preferred shares.

Executives still have a number of reasons to put off acquisitions, as a dearth of natural targets and regulatory scrutiny still provide enough reasons to be hesitant. As a result, 2015 deal activity is flat compared with a year earlier.

The next financial crisis will probably originate from online lenders, hedge funds or other unregulated entities that are taking on some of the greatest credit risks, CIT Group Inc. Chief Executive Officer John Thain said.

Former Wilmington Trust President Robert V.A. Harra was indicted on U.S. charges that he lied to regulators as part of a scheme to hide bad real-estate loans

The Federal Reserve should require community groups to disclose the contributions they receive from banks in order to ensure that controversial mergers receive fair public hearings.

Prosperity Bancshares in Houston has ended a short, self-imposed break from acquisitions, agreeing to buy Tradition Bancshares in Houston.

Coast Bancorp has sold two buildings next to its bank's headquarters in San Luis Obispo, Calif., and has refinanced debt.

Old Line Bancshares in Bowie, Md., has agreed to buy Regal Bancorp in Owings Mills, Md.

Summit Financial Group in Moorefield, W.Va., said its employee stock-ownership plan has acquired a stake in the company from a Louisiana bank.

Heritage Oaks Bancorp in Paso Robles, Calif., has purchased of $3 million worth of its trust-preferred securities.

Washington Trust has significantly increased its deposit market share in Rhode Island in the past five years, without buying any banks, and is casting its eye across the state's borders. We talk growth strategy with the company's CEO and its COO.