First Foundation Bank in Irvine, Calif., has agreed to buy Pacific Rim Bank in Honolulu.

With new bank chartering at a standstill, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has issued new guidance on de novo capital requirements and other issues in part to "demystify the application process."

MidWestOne Financial Group in Iowa City has agreed to buy Central Bancshares in Golden Valley, Minn.

MUFG Union Bank will close 20 branches of the former Frontier Bank in Washington state.

The acquisition of CapitalSource has pushed PacWest's capital from full to overflowing. With diminished interest in M&A, the Los Angeles company recently doubled its dividend, while analysts expect management to award a special payout in the future.

Fraternity Community Bancorp in Baltimore has agreed to add a director recommended by activist investor Joseph Stilwell.

Several banks have been aggressively adding assets since the financial crisis. SNL Financial's list of publicly traded banks with the greatest asset growth since mid-2009 includes many investment vehicles formed after the downturn to buy banks. Several of those banks have gone public this year.

A government tool for unloading failed bank assets and minimizing FDIC losses may be used as a vehicle to publicly subsidize private gains in the proposed merger between CIT Group and OneWest Bank.

Hudson Valley Holding in Yonkers, N.Y., has agreed to sell A.R. Schmeidler & Co., an investment adviser unit, to Pine Street Asset Management.

Pacific Continental in Eugene, Ore., has agreed to buy Capital Pacific Bancorp in Portland, Ore.

First Savings Bank of Perkasie in Perkasie, Pa., has agreed to merge with First Federal of Bucks County in Bristol, Pa.

First National Corp. in Strasburg, Va., has agreed to buy six branches in Virginia from Bank of America.

Steven Sugarman, chief executive at Banc of California, recently completed a large branch acquisition after a public battle with an advocacy group. In a recent interview, he discussed that process as well as the bank's busy year — both the good and the bad.

A breakdown of M&A announcements in the financial services industry for the week ended Nov. 15.

John Hairston, set to become the Mississippi company's sole CEO, said Carl Chaney was not forced out as co-CEO. Still, he said the departure allows Hancock to streamline operations and become more efficient.

MSB Financial Corp., a mutual thrift firm in Millington, N.J., plans to reorganize into a fully stock-owned company.

Wells Financial in Wells, Minn., has agreed to buy St. James Federal Savings and Loan Association in St. James, Minn.

BNC Bancorp in High Point, N.C., has agreed to buy Valley Financial in Roanoke, Va.

John A. Allison writes in his new book that he feared for years that predecessors of Wachovia or Bank of America would try and force BB&T to sell itself. In this excerpt, he explains how he kept the banking giants at bay. Part 5 of 5.

The Connecticut company just recaptured its deferred-tax asset, which padded third-quarter earnings. Still, some observers believe Patriot National's improved health, and presence in affluent markets, could lure suitors.