Bank of America boasts one of the country's most extensive branch networks with more than 5,900 locations covering some 40 states from coast to coast. Its core services include consumer and small business banking, credit cards, and asset management. In early 2009 Bank of America paid some $50 billion in stock for Merrill Lynch, which had been crippled by the global credit crisis. The acquisition of the once-mighty investment bank known as "The Bull," which has an extensive retail brokerage network, beefs up Bank of America's wealth management, investment banking, and international business.

Cadence Financial is the holding company for Cadence Bank, which operates about 20 branches in the Golden Triangle area of eastern Mississippi, plus about 20 additional locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. The community bank offers standard deposit products such as checking and savings accounts, in addition to trust and investment services. It primarily originates real estate mortgages, which account for more than half of its loan portfolio, but also makes agricultural, business, construction, and consumer loans. Cadence Financial canceled plans to be acquired by Trustmark Corporation in 2010. It will instead be acquired by Community Bancorp, a recently formed bank holding company.

Washington Trust Bancorp can utter "Washington" and "trust" in the same breath. The firm owns The Washington Trust Company, one of the oldest banks in Rhode Island. The bank operates nearly 15 branches there, as well as in southeastern Connecticut. It was originally chartered in 1800. The bank offers standard services such as checking, money market, and savings accounts; CDs; and credit cards. Residential mortgages comprise the largest portion of its loan portfolio, followed by commercial mortgages and other loans collateralized by real estate. The bank also offers wealth management services.

Monarch Community Bancorp emerged from its chrysalis in 2002 when it was organized to be the holding company for Monarch Community Bank (formerly Branch County Federal Savings and Loan Association). The bank operates more than five branches in southern Michigan's Branch, Calhoun, and Hillsdale counties. Its lending activities mainly consist of one- to four-family residential mortgages (about half of its loan portfolio), commercial mortgages, and home equity loans. To fund its lending, the bank offers such deposit products as checking, savings, and money market accounts, CDs, and IRAs. It provides insurance, mutual funds, annuities, and financial planning services through an agreement with Prudential Financial.

Ballston Spa Bancorp is the holding company for Ballston Spa National Bank, which serves Saratoga County in New York from about 10 branches. It offers traditional deposit products including checking and savings accounts, IRAs, and CDs. The bank also offers investment products, wealth and estate planning, insurance, and trust services. Residential mortgages account for about two-thirds of the company's loan portfolio; the company also writes commercial mortgages, consumer loans, and business loans. Ballston Spa National Bank was established in 1838.

Southside Bancshares operates deep in the heart of Texas. It's the holding company for Southside Bank, which serves East Texas through about 35 branches, with a concentration in the cities of Tyler and Longview. About half of its branches are located in supermarkets (including Albertsons and Brookshire stores), and many offer extended hours. The bank provides traditional services such as savings, money market, and checking accounts, CDs, and other deposit products, as well as trust and investment services. Real estate loans make up more than half of the company's loan portfolio, which also includes business, consumer, and municipal loans.

Great Southern Bank was founded in 1923 with a $5,000 investment, four employees and 936 customers. Today, it has grown to $3.4 billion in total assets, more than 1,000 dedicated associates serving nearly 150,000 households. Headquartered in Springfield, Mo., the Company operates 75 retail banking centers in Missouri, Arkansas. Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. Great Southern offers one-stop shopping with a comprehensive line-up of financial services that give customers more choices for their money. Customers can choose from a wide variety of checking accounts, savings accounts and lending options. With the understanding that convenient access to banking services is a top priority, customers can access the bank when, where and how they prefer, whether it’s through a banking center that will have the longest banking hours in town, through an ATM, by telephone or through the Internet.Beyond traditional banking services, customers can also look to Great Southern for help with investment, insurance and travel services through Great Southern Financial Services, Great Southern Insurance and Great Southern Travel. Great Southern’s mission is to build winning relationships with its customers, associates, shareholders and communities. On any given day, we are hard at work helping young families realize the dream of homeownership, helping a business owner expand his or her business, or providing the right product or service to help an individual save for a future goal. We’re also partnering with the community to help make it a better and more prosperous place to live. And, last but not least, we are keeping the interests of our shareholders in mind in every decision we make while also maintaining our commitment to provide a superior long-term return on their investment.

Woodforest Financial Group Inc. family of companies includes both Woodforest National Bank and Woodforest Bank. Each bank plays an important role in the continued growth and strength of Woodforest.Woodforest Financial Group purchased Olympic Savings, a State Savings Bank out of Refugio, Texas in April 2007. Olympic soon had a new name, Woodforest Bank, and was converted to a Federal Savings Bank. Woodforest Bank currently has over 160 branches now open. With this new charter, Woodforest Financial Group brings the expertise and innovation of 30 years of banking success to all new Woodforest markets around the country.

China Merchants Bank is one of China's top five banks and with 53 million credit cards, its largest issuer. CMB offers businesses and individuals a range of financial services, including credit cards, savings accounts, mortgage loans, ATMs, foreign exchange trading, and on-line banking service. Corporate banking accounts for half of its operating income. CMB targets affluent markets and has branches in more than 65 major cities in China, as well as in Hong Kong, with a network of more than 700 locations and 1,700 ATMs. It also maintains branches in New York City and London. CMB has relationships with more than 1,600 banks worldwide.

SunTrust Banks, Inc. operates as the holding company for SunTrust Bank, which provides various financial services to consumer and corporate customers in the United States. The company operates in four segments: Retail and Commercial, Wealth and Investment Management, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Household Lending. The Retail and Commercial segment offers various financial products and services that include consumer deposits; home equity lines; consumer lines; commercial and commercial real estate lending; financial risk management; insurance premium financing; treasury and payment solutions, including commercial card services; and specialized commercial real estate investments.

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