News Topic: Community banking

The Western Independent Bankers will continue to offer conference and educational services as a division of the California Bankers Association. ... Read full article

The Seattle company, which has cut about 130 positions in the business in recent months, pointed to lower originations tied to a shortage of new and resale housing. ... Read full article

The NCUA is proposing a special payout of up to $800 million to credit unions next year, which may boost lending. Banks were uncharacteristically silent on the plan. ... Read full article

With baby boomers moving into retirement and many young folks eschewing careers in banking, the industry could soon be facing a talent shortage. Are more banking degree programs the answer? ... Read full article

Washington Federal is the latest bank to pull an application after being flagged for insufficient Bank Secrecy Act compliance. ... Read full article

Wondering who is new to the rankings of the Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance? Here’s an overview of the changes. Plus we recap all of the stories so far, including the top team winners, a feature on CIT Group’s Ellen Alemany, and New York ... Read full article

Stephen Sessler, the director of mortgage banking at the $4 billion-asset Camden National Bank, provides other lenders a peek at the benefits and pitfalls of digital mortgages. ... Read full article

Ned Handy, who will take the helm in March, wants to be more aggressive luring deposits in the company's home state. That should reduce the company's reliance on other funding sources to support loan growth. ... Read full article

Washington Federal has pulled its application to buy Anchor Bancorp after regulators flagged issues tied to its BSA systems and processes. The companies said they remain committed to the deal. ... Read full article

The company has agreed to buy Bay Bancorp for $129 million in stock. ... Read full article

Joseph MarcAurele will retire as chairman and CEO in March. The company's president and chief operating officer, Ned Handy, will take the helm. ... Read full article

The Indiana company's board knew what it wanted from a potential buyer, and that helped it as it negotiated one of this year's biggest bank deals. ... Read full article

The company, which agreed to buy Independence Bancshares, also brought in $25 million by selling common and preferred stock. ... Read full article

The company is looking to raise about $115 million. A portion of the proceeds would help pay for Merchants' pending purchase of Joy State Bank. ... Read full article

Mark Thompson had previously been a CenterState regional president overseeing the south Florida market. ... Read full article

Chemical Financial and Fidelity Southern are the latest banks to curtail auto lending, blaming trends in auto sales and overheated competition. ... Read full article

In a new book, Mehrsa Baradaran argues that the same forces of poverty that African-American banks were supposed to alleviate are now holding them back. ... Read full article

Out-of-control email chains, long meetings, haphazard approaches — that was project "management" at Exchange Bank in California. It took five years, but those things have changed. ... Read full article