Mutual banks

The central bank’s dividend waiver rule has severely limited the formation of mutual holding companies.

The leader of an Ohio mutual is urging his peers to follow the lead of credit unions by forming groups to share technology and collaborate on lending and deposit gathering.

Thomas Fraser will step down as president and CEO of First Federal Lakewood and instead focus on overseeing the mutual's holding company.

Call it mutual respect. Bankers from mutually owned British building societies and similarly structured U.S. thrifts recently gathered in New England to address common challenges and share ideas about staying relevant at a time of rapid change in financial services. Here are the takeaways from their meetings.

The Pittsburgh bank opted to give more than half of its employees $2,000 pay hikes instead of the bonuses handed out by many rivals.

Dollar Bank has applied to form a mutual holding company as it nears a key regulatory threshold.

The Boston-area bank will add branches near New Hampshire after buying the cooperative bank.

The company will merge with Kentucky Federal Savings and Loan by the end of this year.

Mid-Southern Bancorp could use proceeds to make more loans or to pursue acquisitions.

A recent acquisition that was highly dilutive, and a lack of suitable mutual targets, could spur HarborOne Bancorp to pursue a second-step conversion.

The mutual has agreed to buy Cape Ann Insurance, which specializes in personal insurance products.

Savings Bank of Walpole and New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp believe merging help them preserve a banking model that has faced pressure in recent years. The CEO at Savings Bank will also replace New Hampshire Mutual's retiring leader.

The Boston mutual, which lost its innovation team when it spun off Numerated last year, has hired a State Street executive to oversee a plan to encourage all employees to be more creative.

Stilwell Group and Jeffrey Thorp will gain board seats in exchange for a vow to refrain from waging proxy battles against MB Bancorp.

The Boston mutual touted Deborah Jackson's role in promoting social justice and sustainability causes.

A bull market and investor appetite for bank stocks are spurring more mutuals to consider partial conversions.

Columbia Financial will sell about 43% of its stock in a public offering that could raise up to $493 million.

The mutual, which agreed to buy First Colebrook Bancorp, had recently opened a limited-service branch in Portsmouth, N.H.

The ranks of mutually owned banks are in decline. Survivors say sharper marketing, better access to capital and lower barriers to entry could stop the bleeding.

A controversial bank merger in Kansas City is likely to catch the eyes of credit union watchers as NCUA considers new rulemaking surrounding disclosures of incentives offered to board members and executives at merging CUs.