With deposits falling and loan demands rising, what's a bank to do? Many banks are selling securities to fund loans, others are turning to their local Federal Home Loan Banks.

Although this deficit has been rising steadily since the early 1990s, a "hard landing" for the U.S. economy is unlikely. One reason is that only in the United States can so many foreigners invest so much money and get such good returns.

The growing crop of supermarket bank branches is bringing new meaning to the expression "shopping for a loan."

With higher overhead costs and lower fee income, small banks are in serious danger of getting lapped by their larger competitors. Can community banks find a way to stay on the track?

Despite being around for nearly a century, industrial banks have been in the spotlight only in the past couple of years. That's largely because of who wants to own them -- big-box retailers like The Home Depot and Wal-Mart.

After decades of beating out their peers in the return on average assets race, Eighth District banks now trail the pack.

To figure out what a central bank should look like, consider that most have three features in common: independence, transparency and a goal of low and stable inflation.

The cover story examines why small banks aren't usually thrown for a loop when the local economy has a rough ride