Wintrust Financial in Rosemont, Ill., recorded higher quarterly profits on increased net interest income and benefits from buying Diamond Bancorp in Schaumburg, Ill.

Capitol Bancorp said late Monday that it will sell its four remaining banks to Talmer Bancorp in Troy, Mich.

China, Switzerland, Germany and Japan are among nations close to reaching arrangements with U.S. regulators to ease the dismantling of failed banks, said Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg.

Wealth management has reached a critical juncture. The pressure to expand and cross-sell could encourage employees to cut corners and regulators to crack down on questionable practices. All this applies to big banks, which thirst for sources of growth, and small banks, which are jumping headlong into the business and catering to the less affluent clients ignored by large banks.

Regional and community banks are carving out niches as asset managers by offering perks and personal services to affluent customers whom bigger rivals often overlook.

The Treasury Department expects to receive roughly $66 million from a recent auction of stakes it owns in seven banks from the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Bank of the Ozarks posted a 16% rise in quarterly profit after completing an acquisition and reporting strong loan growth.

Bank mergers, failures and charter consolidations are cutting into the exam fees that provide the financial lifeblood for regulators in Idaho, Montana and other states. Their attempts to balance the budget can cause small banks to pay higher fees.

Debt buyer Portfolio Recovery Associates Inc. (PRA), a Norfolk, Va.-based company operating in the U.S. and United Kingdom, has been named to the Top 25 of Forbes' 100 Best Small Companies in America for the second consecutive year.

Huntington Bancshares (HBAN) in Columbus, Ohio, has agreed to buy Camco Financial (CAFI) in Cambridge, Ohio.

Prudential Bancorp (PBIP) in Philadelphia has completed its second-step conversion and $71.4 million public offering.

Republic Bancorp's deal to buy the bank operations of H&R Block collapsed because of regulators' apparent concerns about the mixing of banking and tax-refund processing. The deal would have helped restore a business already bruised by conflicts with regulators.

Enterprise Financial and Reliance Bancshares in St. Louis, under pressure to grow like most community banks, believe they have figured out how to expand into faraway markets yet avoid the mistakes that cost many banks during the financial crisis.

TGR Financial in Naples, Fla., has agreed to buy Shamrock Bank of Florida.

H&R Block Inc.'s plan to sell its bank and exit Federal Reserve oversight stalled as Republic Bancorp Inc. said it rescinded a plan to buy the unit.

First National Bank of New York is selling to Bridge Bancorp 18 months after its recapitalization because additional capital was elusive. For Bridge, the deal expands its reach closer to New York City. Similar scenarios will happen elsewhere.

O'Neill, a co-founder of Sandler O'Neill & Partners, knows skeptics are questioning his plan to start an investment bank. But there are thousands of banks and they will always need M&A advice, he says.

Mortgage firm PHH Corp. (PHH) is considering a plan to split and sell its mortgage and auto fleet leasing businesses, according to a Reuters report Monday.

A wave of management changes at Korean-American banks highlights the difficulties of filling key posts in a niche banking industry.

A group that includes the co-founder of Sandler O'Neill & Partners has started a new investment bank aimed at community and regional banks.