Executives with Paragon National Bank laid out for shareholders this week a set of strategic objectives for 2013 that included making continued progress toward wringing problem assets out of the bank and improving the bank’s earnings power.

2. Evolve Bank Opening Branch in Marion - Saturday, February 16, 2013

Evolve Bank & Trust is opening a full-service branch in Marion, Ark., in March.

Evolve bought and is currently renovating a 7,000-square-foot SunTrust Banks Inc. building in Marion, and once completed it will be Evolve’s fifth branch in eastern Arkansas. It currently operates branches in Arkansas and Tennessee and mortgage production offices around the U.S.

3. Evolve Bank Opening Branch in Marion - Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Evolve Bank & Trust is opening a full-service branch in Marion, Ark., in March.

Evolve bought and is currently renovating a 7,000-square-foot SunTrust Banks Inc. building in Marion, and once completed it will be Evolve’s fifth branch in eastern Arkansas.

4. Memphis Investment Firm Expands Into Nashville - Saturday, February 09, 2013

Memphis-based investment firm Duncan-Williams Inc. has continued its national expansion with the opening of a Nashville office.

5. Memphis Investment Firm Expands Into Nashville - Friday, February 08, 2013

Memphis-based investment firm Duncan-Williams Inc. has continued expansion with the opening of a Nashville office. As part of the expansion, H. Denny Taylor Jr. has joined Duncan-Williams in Nashville as a managing director and will serve as co-head of mergers, acquisitions and capital raising.

6. Lender Processing Paying $121 Million to Resolve Claims - Friday, February 01, 2013

One of the biggest U.S. mortgage processing companies has agreed to pay $121 million to resolve states' claims that it wrongfully foreclosed on homeowners who should have been allowed to stay in their homes.

7. SunTrust Banks Posts Jump in Fourth-Quarter Net Income - Monday, January 21, 2013

SunTrust Banks Inc. said Friday that its fourth-quarter net income soared, helped by mortgage-related and investment banking income.

The Atlanta-based regional bank earned $350 million, or 65 cents per share, for the last three months of 2012, up from $71 million, or 13 cents per share, in the same quarter a year ago.

8. Banks to Pay $8.5 Billion for Foreclosure Abuse - Tuesday, January 08, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Ten major banks agreed Monday to pay $8.5 billion to settle federal complaints that they wrongfully foreclosed on homeowners who should have been allowed to stay in their homes.

9. Trio of New Branch Managers Chosen at Bank of Bartlett - Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Bank of Bartlett has chosen three new bank branch managers.

They are Timothy Nick Hobbs, Tim Martin and John Paul Kavin.

10. Third-Quarter Earnings Vary Widely - Monday, October 29, 2012

Third-quarter earnings season is wrapping up, and the results have been all over the map for banks and financial institutions with ties to Memphis.

One common thread: many are still making money – an increase in profits, in fact. But the low interest rate environment is eating into how much some of them are able to achieve.

11. SunTrust Banks Falls as Third Quarter Expenses Climb - Wednesday, October 24, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) — Shares of SunTrust Banks continued to fall on Tuesday, after the regional bank posted higher third-quarter expenses amid low interest rates.

THE SPARK: SunTrust Banks Inc. reported Monday that its third-quarter earnings climbed sharply, but the gain was mainly because it sold shares it owned in The Coca-Cola Co. Its performance beat the expectations of analysts polled by FactSet.

12. Stocks Recoup Losses in Late Rally on Wall Street - Tuesday, October 23, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) — A late buying spree erased early losses on Wall Street, leaving indexes with modest gains at the close of trading.

The Dow Jones industrial average came back from a 108-point deficit to end the day up two points at 13,346 on Monday.

13. SunTrust Earnings Rise Sharply - Tuesday, October 23, 2012

SunTrust Banks Inc. on Monday posted sharply higher third-quarter earnings, largely due to the regional bank’s sale of shares it owns in The Coca-Cola Co.

14. Fieldstone Apartments Files $9 Million Loan - Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Fieldstone Apartments III LLC – an affiliate of Michael Lightman Realty Co. – has filed a nearly $9 million loan through SunTrust Banks Inc. for land that will become a new apartment phase.

15. Return on Investment - Monday, September 24, 2012

Most people already know some of the basic elements of the banking business. From the large national lenders with a Memphis presence to the community banks in the suburbs, one common element is they make money by charging borrowers more than the bank pays in interest to depositors.

16. SunTrust Q2 Profit Rises 55 Pct. on Interest, Fees - Monday, July 23, 2012

ATLANTA (AP) — SunTrust Banks Inc.'s net income shot up 55 percent in the second quarter, as it collected more interest on loans and fees and wrote off far fewer unpaid loans.

17. First Horizon Likely to Post Negative Q2 - Monday, July 09, 2012

The Memphis-based parent company of First Tennessee Bank is likely to break a string of profitable quarters when the company makes its second-quarter earnings presentation in a few weeks.

18. SunTrust's New Appointee Will Not Join Company - Tuesday, July 03, 2012

ATLANTA (AP) – SunTrust Banks Inc. announced Monday that David Stevens will not join the company's mortgage business as previously announced.

19. Cortview Capital Expands Memphis Team - Monday, May 14, 2012

Brad Bodine, who heads the credit products group for Cortview Capital Securities LLC, says growth in Memphis “is an important strategy” for the firm, which has been on a hiring streak around the country lately.

20. SunTrust Earns $245M in Q1 on Loans; Beats Street - Tuesday, April 24, 2012

SunTrust Banks Inc. gave out more mortgage loans to its customers and commercial loans to businesses in the first three months of the year, which boosted earnings at the bank to $245 million, compared to $38 million in the same period last year.

21. Triumph Bank’s Mantra: Say ‘Yes’ to Customer - Monday, February 27, 2012

Entrepreneurs get in the game for many different reasons. They do it to make money, certainly, and to maintain a degree of control over that money and their professional lives.

For many, though, there is an urge to participate within and for a community they understand, live and work in. These are the reasons Triumph Bank was founded, and why their board, 15-strong, is made up, not of bankers per se, but of entrepreneurs.

22. Garrett Finds Banking Home at Metropolitan - Monday, February 27, 2012

Do something that makes you happy, and if it’s banking, always deliver on your promises. That sums up the professional philosophy of Maria Garrett, a recent hire at Metropolitan Bank who brought 12 years of industry experience to her new job as a senior managing director.

23. Shelby Co. Mortgages Fall 8 Pct. - Monday, January 16, 2012

It’s still very much a buyer’s market for prospective homebuyers in Shelby County – there’s just not enough of those buyers.

Banks and mortgage lenders made 6,866 purchase mortgages in Shelby County during 2011. That total for the year was down 8 percent from the 7,491 mortgages during 2010, according to the latest data from real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com. (Data for this report included purchase mortgages only, not refinances.)

24. Key Storylines Emerge in 2011 Banking - Monday, December 26, 2011

Much of the news that came out of the local banking and financial services sectors in 2011 fell into one of three buckets.

No new fees, please.

Smaller names are doing bigger business.

And, two heads are better than one.

25. Heart of Memphis - Monday, November 14, 2011

The day before Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam was the keynote speaker this summer at the Downtown Memphis Commission’s 2011 Annual Luncheon, he went for a jog in Nashville wearing his “Believe Memphis” Grizzlies T-shirt.

26. Banks Scramble to Make Up for Lost Debit Card Fees - Monday, November 07, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – After an intense public backlash, Bank of America and other banks have backed off charging monthly debit card fees.

It's a victory for angry customers and consumer advocates. But the move will be costly for banks. They are scrambling for ideas on how to make up for lost revenue at a time when interest rates are at rock bottom and there's little demand for loans, the traditional source of making profits for banks.

27. MasterCard Q3 Profit Up 38 Pct as Card Use Rises - Thursday, November 03, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – MasterCard Inc. said Wednesday its third-quarter profit soared 38 percent on a big spike in card use around the world.

28. First Tennessee Bank Eliminates Debit Fees - Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Memphis-based First Tennessee Bank is the latest bank to back off new debit card fees.

First Tennessee joins Bank of America, SunTrust Banks Inc., Regions Financial and others that within the last few days all have dropped plans to implement unpopular new fees for debit card users.

29. SunTrust to Reverse $5 Monthly Debit Fee - Tuesday, November 01, 2011

SunTrust Banks Inc. says it will stop charging a $5-per-month fee for using debit cards and return the fees it’s collected since June to its customers.

30. Lawmakers Seek Probe on Banks' New Debit Card Fees - Friday, October 14, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Democratic lawmakers are asking the Justice Department to investigate whether Bank of America and other major banks improperly worked together to charge customers new monthly fees for using their debit cards.

31. Two Tenants Join Ridgeway Center - Monday, October 10, 2011

Boyle Investment Co. has inked a pair of new office leases at 999 S. Shady Grove Road in Ridgeway Center, building on its longevity with two local companies.

32. Community Banks Resist Fees For Debit Cards - Monday, October 10, 2011

Community banks have always possessed a certain charm among American financial institutions, one embodied by personal touches, friendly service and fewer headaches and hassles than their bigger brethren.

33. Boyle Adds 2 Tenants to Ridgeway Center - Friday, October 07, 2011

Boyle Investment Co. has inked a pair of new office leases at 999 S. Shady Grove Road in Ridgeway Center, building on its longevity with two local companies.

34. First Tennessee Joins Debit Card Fee Trend - Wednesday, October 05, 2011

When officials with the parent company of First Tennessee Bank walked through the company’s second quarter earnings in July for analysts, they noted that the implementation of stricter rules governing debit card fees would mean an annual $15 million to $20 million hit to the company’s revenue.

35. Bank of America to Charge $5 Debit Card Fee - Friday, September 30, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – Bank of America plans to start charging customers a $5 monthly fee for using their debit card to make purchases. The fee will be rolled out starting early next year.

A number of banks have already either rolled out or are testing such fees. But Bank of America's announcement carries added weight because it is the largest U.S. bank by deposits.

36. Tower Revival - Thursday, August 25, 2011

The reversal of fortune for the Downtown tower at the intersection of Main Street and Monroe Avenue, until recently plagued by falling occupancy and an uncertain future, was set in motion in a private meeting one year ago this month.

37. $20M in Improvements on Tap for One Commerce - Thursday, August 11, 2011

Plans for $20 million worth of tenant improvements are coming right along at One Commerce Square.

Commercial Advisors LLC held a tenant meeting and appreciation lunch Thursday, Aug. 11 in the historic bank lobby, 40 S. Main St. The event was led by Gary Prosterman, president and CEO of Development Services Group and one of the partners in Memphis Commerce Square Partners LLC, the new ownership group of One Commerce.

38. SunTrust Returns to Profit in Q2 as Loans Improve - Monday, July 25, 2011

SunTrust Banks Inc. said Friday that it returned to a profit in the second quarter as its loan portfolio improved and it set aside less money to cover charge-offs.

39. Morgan Keegan Speculation Begins - Monday, June 27, 2011

More than one analyst is predicting Morgan Keegan & Co. Inc. could fetch a minimum of $700 million if its parent company, Regions Financial Corp., follows through on an anticipated sale of the Memphis-based investment firm.

40. From The TDN Blog: First Horizon ‘Needs to Do a Deal’ - Friday, June 17, 2011

If a tree falls in the forest but no one hears it, of course we know it made a sound. Can the same be said when a group of investors and analysts gathered for a bank industry conference talk among themselves about how a certain Memphis banking company needs to hurry up and spend some money acquiring a competitor, even when that bank isn’t presenting anything at the conference?

41. SunTrust Adds CSI Capital to Wealth Management Biz - Thursday, May 12, 2011

ATLANTA (AP) – SunTrust Banks Inc. has acquired the assets of CSI Capital Management, a money management firm whose roster of wealthy clients includes high-profile athletes. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

42. Special Coverage: Mid-South Flooding - Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Coverage of the rising waters in the Memphis area

River Forecast to Crest at 48 Feet

County Emergency Preparedness officials said Monday afternoon they still expect the Mississippi River to crest on May 11.

43. SunTrust Elevates Treasurer to CFO Post - Wednesday, April 27, 2011

ATLANTA (AP) – SunTrust Banks Inc. said Monday it has elevated Aleem Gillani from corporate treasurer to chief financial officer.

44. SunTrust Swings to Profit in Q1, Names New CEO - Monday, April 25, 2011

ATLANTA (AP) – SunTrust Banks Inc. said Thursday it returned to a profit in the first quarter as it was able to set aside less money to cover bad loans.

45. Gov't Orders Lenders to Reimburse Homeowners - Thursday, April 14, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government on Wednesday ordered 16 of America's largest mortgage lenders and servicers to reimburse homeowners who were improperly foreclosed upon.

Government regulators also directed the financial firms to hire auditors to determine how many homeowners could have avoided foreclosure in 2009 and 2010.

46. SunTrust Repays Nearly $5B in TARP Aid to Treasury - Friday, April 01, 2011

ATLANTA (AP) – SunTrust Banks Inc. said Wednesday that it completed the repayment of $4.85 billion in TARP funds from the government's financial system rescue program.

47. In Blow for BofA, Fed Rejects its Dividend Plan - Thursday, March 24, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – It was one more blow for Bank of America: the Federal Reserve didn't allow nation's largest bank to increase its dividends.

The decision by the Fed makes Bank of America Corp. the only one of the four largest U.S. banks that wasn't able to raise its dividend, something shareholders have been clamoring for.

48. SunTrust Banks Names New CEO for Mortgage Group - Wednesday, March 23, 2011

ATLANTA (AP) – SunTrust Banks Inc. said Tuesday it has named Jerome Lienhard as president and CEO of its mortgage division, SunTrust Mortgage Inc.

49. SunTrust Plans Stock Offering - Tuesday, March 22, 2011

SunTrust Banks Inc. has begun a roughly $1 billion common stock offering as a step in the company’s planned repurchase of its preferred shares of stock issued to the U.S. Treasury as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Capital Purchase Program.

50. Strategic Move - Thursday, March 17, 2011

Johnny Moore, the president and CEO of SunTrust Banks’ Memphis division who’s nearing the end of his second year in the role, has been talking for a while about growing the bank’s branch network in the area.

51. Most Memphis Banks Report Profitable Year - Tuesday, March 08, 2011

The Memphis banking market had a strong 2010, with 75 percent of the roughly two dozen banks headquartered here showing a profit for the year, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

52. Independent Bank Eyes Space in One Commerce - Monday, March 07, 2011

A bank logo may soon be returning to One Commerce Square.

Multiple sources confirmed Independent Bank is in the final stages of negotiating a deal to put a bank branch – and possibly additional office space – in the landmark Downtown tower, where for years the top of the building was adorned with the logo for National Bank of Commerce and later SunTrust Banks Inc.

53. ‘Big 3’ Reflect Local Banking Scene - Monday, February 21, 2011

One of the most famous aphorisms about politics is that all of it is local. Bankers and other inhabitants of the finance world know the same often goes for them too.

In the run-up to the recession, financial services firms like Citigroup and Bank of America raced to gobble each other up and built sprawling financial supermarkets.

54. SunTrust Bank: 2 Board Members to Retire This Year - Tuesday, February 15, 2011

ATLANTA (AP) – SunTrust Banks Inc. announced Friday the retirement of two board and the nomination of one other.

55. SunTrust Shares Gain on Strong 4Q Results - Monday, January 24, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – Shares of SunTrust Banks Inc. advanced Friday after the Southern regional bank handily beat Wall Street expectations with its second consecutive quarterly profit.

56. Growth on Tap at BankTennessee - Wednesday, January 12, 2011

At least one local bank is turning the page on 2010 – a year when the Shelby County housing market saw a drop in purchase mortgage activity – by growing its mortgage department.

Collierville-based BankTennessee has added a new mortgage underwriter and mortgage loan officer, moves the bank’s president and CEO Jim Rout said are part of a strategy to grow all areas of the bank and continue extending its reach into its Middle and West Tennessee markets.

57. Mortgages Drop 11 Percent in 2010 - Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Banks and mortgage lenders made 7,493 purchase mortgages in Shelby County during 2010, a year in which the housing market saw the expiration of a homebuyer tax credit but was helped by continued record-low rates.

58. Regions Praised for Service, Client Experience - Monday, January 10, 2011

Bank customers are apparently more likely to get service with a smile when they step into a Regions Bank branch as opposed to any other large U.S. financial institution.

59. Local Banks Participated in Fed Program - Monday, December 06, 2010

When the Federal Reserve recently released the details of about 21,000 transactions involving multiple emergency lending facilities created by the central bank during the financial crisis, several local names showed up among the lists.

60. Most Local Banks on Right Track, Fed Shows - Monday, November 22, 2010

Most Memphis-based banks are back in the black and are meeting at least the minimum standard to be considered adequately capitalized, according to preliminary third quarter data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

61. SunTrust Banks Names President to Added COO Role - Thursday, November 11, 2010

ATLANTA (AP) – SunTrust Banks Inc. said Tuesday it named President William H. Rogers to the additional role of chief operating officer.

62. Stronger Revenue Helps SunTrust Top Expectations - Friday, October 22, 2010

ATLANTA (AP) — Regional bank SunTrust Banks Inc. on Thursday posted a surprise third-quarter profit on stronger revenue and subsiding loan losses.

63. Downtown Touchdown - Monday, October 11, 2010

Many of the dominoes that fell into place in advance of Pinnacle Airlines Corp. deciding to move its Memphis corporate headquarters to the landmark Downtown tower One Commerce Square happened in the public eye.

64. Pinnacle Chooses One Commerce - Thursday, October 07, 2010

Pinnacle Airlines Corp. has decided to shift its Memphis headquarters from Memphis International Airport to a landmark Downtown tower, capping months of study by Pinnacle and intense lobbying of the regional air carrier by state and local governments.

65. Pinnacle Chooses One Commerce Square - Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Pinnacle Airlines Corp. has decided to shift its Memphis headquarters from Memphis International Airport to a landmark Downtown tower, capping months of study by Pinnacle and intense lobbying of the regional air carrier by state and local governments.

66. Banks Look to Reshape Rocky Landscape - Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The Memphis and Tennessee economies are looking brighter compared to the country at large.

Larger banks in the Memphis market will continue to lose market share to smaller competitors that are hungry and nimble. And many local banks have the cash and the desire to go on a buying spree – for other banks, that is.

67. SunTrust Completes $750M Debt Purchase Offer - Tuesday, August 24, 2010

ATLANTA (AP) – SunTrust Banks Inc. said Monday that investors agreed to tender nearly $948 million in debt in response to the company's offer to buy back a maximum $750 million.

68. Local Investors to Buy One Commerce - Thursday, August 05, 2010

U.S. Bancorp has accepted the bid from a local investment group to buy One Commerce Square at 40 S. Main St.

The group, which includes Southland Capital president Terry Lynch, his partner Karl Schledwitz and also Gary Prosterman, submitted its bid last week.

69. Local Investors to Buy One Commerce - Wednesday, August 04, 2010

U.S. Bancorp has accepted the bid from a local investment group to buy One Commerce Square at 40 S. Main St.

The group, which includes Southland Capital president Terry Lynch, his partner Karl Schledwitz and also Gary Prosterman, submitted its bid last week.

70. SunTrust Banks Cuts Q2 Loss by Two-Thirds - Friday, July 23, 2010

Atlanta-based SunTrust Banks Inc. on Thursday said it cut its second-quarter net loss by two-thirds, as the credit quality of its loans continues to improve.

71. SunTrust Sells Partial RidgeWorth Assets - Monday, July 19, 2010

ATLANTA (AP) — SunTrust Banks Inc. said Friday that it will sell a partial stake of its RidgeWorth Investments subsidiary to Federated Investors Inc., completing a strategic review it began in April.

72. Pinnacle Weighing Options for HQ Relocation - Monday, July 19, 2010

Pinnacle Airline Corp.’s pending headquarters relocation marks the second time in little more than a year that a transportation company has mulled over where to move a significant part of its operation.

73. SunTrust Files Permit for Uptown “St. Jude” Branch - Tuesday, June 29, 2010

600 A.W. Willis Ave.
Memphis, TN 38103
Permit Amount: $720,000

Project Cost: TBA
Permit Date: Applied June 2010
Completion: First Quarter 2011
Owner: SunTrust Banks Inc.
Tenant: SunTrust Banks Inc.
Contractor: TBA

74. Profitability Could be Ahead For Paragon - Monday, June 28, 2010

Paragon National Bank president and CEO Robert Shaw won’t be drafting his presentation for another year, but he already knows one of the themes he hopes to be able to tout at the bank’s 2011 annual meeting.

75. SunTrust Files Permit For Uptown Branch - Tuesday, June 22, 2010

SunTrust Banks Inc. has filed a $720,000 permit with the city-county Office of Construction Code Enforcement to build a 2,500-square-foot, full-service branch at 600 A.W. Willis Ave. in Uptown.

76. Banking Group Spent $390K Lobbying in First Quarter - Monday, June 21, 2010

The Consumer Bankers Association spent $390,000 lobbying the federal government in the first quarter on sweeping legislation to overhaul financial regulation and a number of other issues, a disclosure report shows.

77. Last Straw? - Tuesday, June 08, 2010

News last week that the law firm Glankler Brown PLLC will vacate 39,000 square feet in One Commerce Square signaled another blow to the embattled 31-story tower, a fixture on the Memphis skyline for the past four decades.

78. Glankler Brown Departs Downtown - Monday, June 07, 2010

Glankler Brown PLLC, a law firm that has been a Downtown mainstay for nearly a century, won’t renew its lease at One Commerce Square and will move to East Memphis.

79. Glankler Brown Departs Downtown - Friday, June 04, 2010

Glankler Brown PLLC, a law firm that has been a Downtown mainstay for nearly a century, won’t renew its lease at One Commerce Square and will move to East Memphis.

The firm on Friday announced a 10-year, 32,000-square-foot lease with Highwoods Properties at Triad Centre I at Poplar Avenue and Shady Grove Road near Interstate 240, in the heart of the most desirable office corridor in town.

80. Above and Beyond - Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Banks try a little of everything to get customers in the door and build goodwill in the communities they serve.

A slightly higher rate on CDs than the bank down the street is paying; tellers who remember details like where a customer’s children go to school; fundraisers; sponsorships.

81. ‘Independent’ Not Just a Name To Bank Co-Chair - Monday, February 22, 2010

Like many of their local competitors, the folks who run Independent Bank in Memphis were encouraged by regulators to participate in the federal government’s controversial but arguably necessary financial bailout program.

82. Questions Abound for Commercial Real Estate’s Future - Thursday, February 18, 2010

The commercial real estate market will need to navigate its way through a host of landmines before it sees anything resembling recovery.

That was the message Mark Dotzour, chief economist and director of research for the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, told local brokers, bankers and appraisers at Wednesday’s Commercial Property Forecast Summit, held at the Germantown Performing Arts Centre and sponsored by the Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council.

83. Banks Find Time Right to Repay TARP - Monday, February 01, 2010

President Barack Obama made an effort to show his disdain for the taxpayer-funded bank bailout during his State of the Union address Wednesday night, likening its popularity to that of a root canal.

84. Upswing in Motion - Monday, January 25, 2010

When mortgage numbers reach historic lows – as they have in Shelby County during the past two years – any improvement, however small, should be viewed as positive.

The commercial lending industry indeed received a rare dose of good news in December with a bump in commercial purchase mortgage activity, as opposed to refinances.

85. Mixed Signals Remain for Local Banking Industry - Monday, December 21, 2009

The old proverb about the fear of dismounting a tiger – once you’re riding one, you can’t hop off without becoming easy prey for the beast – seems applicable to the banking industry at the moment.

The tiger it’s riding is an economy marked by delinquent mortgages, companies shedding jobs and unpaid consumer loans stacking up as borrowers fall further behind. As a result of that upheaval, the U.S. government has basically turned into a vast holding company sitting on giant stakes in automakers and hundreds of banks.

86. Loan Losses Still Up at Area Banks - Monday, November 16, 2009

With a few exceptions, most major regional and community banks with a presence in the Memphis market are socking away more money these days to cover troubled parts of their loan portfolios.

The degrees to which they’re piling up those cushions vary widely, with the figure more than doubling at banks like Cadence and Renasant when comparing the just-ended third quarter to the same period last year. And the trend is important to watch, because when provisions for loan losses are on the rise it eats into a bank’s earnings, which in turn postpones the return of stability to the industry.

87. Regions Maintains Top Spot in Tenn. Market Share - Monday, November 02, 2009

Regions Financial Corp. is bullish on Memphis. And the Birmingham, Ala.-based bank has hard numbers to back up that optimism.

88. Banks Report Mixed Q3 Results - Monday, October 26, 2009

The spate of third-quarter reports from banks with ties to Memphis continues this week, with Mississippi-based Cadence Bank and Trustmark next up to show how they fared between July and September.

89. FDIC Report Offers Insight Into Banks’ Market Share - Thursday, October 22, 2009

First Tennessee Bank commands more than a third of the bank deposit market share in the Memphis area, while its closest rival has about half that amount.

90. Florida Company Buys Oakhaven Warehouse - Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Hallowell Memphis LLC, an affiliate of Deerfield Beach, Fla.-based Hallowell Div. List Industries Inc., has bought the 64,000-square-foot warehouse at 4755 Burbank Road in Oakhaven/Parkway Village for slightly less than $1 million. The transaction closed Oct. 13, and the seller was The Acee Co. of Fort Smith, Ark.

91. Regions Bank Tops FDIC One-Day Look - Monday, October 19, 2009

Regions Bank has retained the top spot on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s one-day look at bank balances across Tennessee, released Friday.

92. Banks Anticipate More Optimistic Q3 Earnings - Wednesday, October 14, 2009

When local banks start rolling out third quarter earnings this month, the results might sound familiar.

Bank balance sheets are still covered with red ink. As they’ve been doing for several quarters, banks are still trying to rid themselves of junky assets. They continue socking away money to cover potential losses and soured loans keep piling up.

93. Treasury: Local Banks Have Paid $42M in Interest - Monday, October 12, 2009

Memphis-area banks have paid more than $42 million in interest to the federal government as part of the strings attached to emergency capital they received starting last year.

The desperately needed cash was doled out to banks to help them ride out the economic storm, and was one of the most significant planks in the government’s rescue of the financial system. Banks are making quarterly interest payments on those capital infusions, and the tally from banks in and around Memphis comes from a new report from the U.S. Treasury.

94. Banking Field Trip Shows Signs Of Local Recovery - Monday, September 28, 2009

The economy is beginning to see a small break in the clouds.

Local banks are warm to the possibility of gobbling up other banks and failed rivals if government financial backing is part of the deal.

95. SunTrust, Citi Form International Trade Alliance - Wednesday, September 16, 2009

ATLANTA (AP) - SunTrust Banks Inc. and Citigroup Inc. said Tuesday they have entered into a trade alliance to serve the international needs of SunTrust's corporate clients.

96. U of M to Host Career and Internship Expo - Friday, September 11, 2009

The University of Memphis Career Services Office and the Academic Internship Office will host their annual Career and Internship Expo Sept. 23.

Students and alumni will have the opportunity to find jobs and internships with more than 60 employers.

97. Attention Shifts From Health Care To Consumer Protection - Monday, August 24, 2009

Tennessee’s Robert Cooper Jr., along with 24 other state attorneys general, signed a letter a few days ago to U.S. congressional leaders supporting the creation of a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency.

98. Mortgage Numbers Up Since June - Monday, August 10, 2009

One year ago, Tupelo, Miss.-based Renasant Bank had two employees working in its local mortgage division. Today, it has nine. And that 450 percent boost in staffing yielded one of Shelby County’s most impressive increases in lending activity last month.

99. Commercial Real Estate Pocked by Financial Ruins - Monday, August 03, 2009

Commercial real estate deals used to be hammered out in boardrooms, but with the rise of foreclosures in that sector, many of them are now being negotiated at the courthouse.

The steps of the Shelby County Courthouse proved to be a hot spot for high-dollar, high-profile commercial deals in June, a month that saw the most lucrative transaction and two of the top three sales occur following foreclosures.

100. Banks Pay Back $30M in Interest on TARP Money - Monday, July 27, 2009

The federal government has collected almost $30 million in interest payments from Memphis-area banks that got emergency capital starting last year, according to a new report from the U.S. Treasury.