Performance reports

The Ohio company is eager to rev up SBA lending in the Windy City now that it has closed on its purchase of FirstMerit. CEO Steve Steinour also credits his company's willingness to make big upfront community commitments for a seamless approval process.

Possible bad outcomes from the slowdown in bank chartering include less financial access in rural areas and further concentration of industry assets in just a few large banks.

Basel III could deal some serious blows to capital levels at First NBC Bank in New Orleans. The big question is how large will the issue become over the next two years.

Many energy lenders are paring back exposure to the energy sector, creating opportunities for banks like First Horizon and Bank of the Ozarks.

A Federal Housing Finance Agency rule that will force some members of the Federal Home Loan Bank System out next year is likely to have a material effect on several of the cooperative institutions.

Lending margins are once again contracting thanks to a confluence of factors, and bankers are doing everything from shifting cash into higher-risk securities to reconfiguring branches to pad profits.

Mercantile Bank and Dime Community recently outlined plans for their CEOs' retirements, while Cullen/Frost made the transition earlier this year. Each transition is anchored in a belief that success hinges on turning day-to-day operations over to a trusted lieutenant.

The embattled firm is offering financial incentives in an effort to kick-start lending, but compliance-focused banks have been slow to respond.

Lending Club announced the resignation of its chief financial officer while reporting an $81.4 million quarterly loss due largely to fallout from the scandal that rocked the firm in May.

By buying EverBank Financial, the insurance and retirement savings behemoth will gain billions of dollars in low-cost deposits and access to many new lending products that it can offer to millions of clients.