John Stearns[1] Reporter- Wichita Business Journal Email[2] | Twitter[3] The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced Friday the transfer of almost $4.5 million to the Kansas Department of Commerce[4] to expand Kansas' small-business lending programs. The transfer of funds represents the third disbursement of Kansas' total State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) allocation of about $13.2 million. According to the most recent SSBCI annual report, the program has supported loans and investments to more than 4,600 U.S. small businesses totaling $1.9 billion through the end of 2012, a Treasury news release says. SSBCI was created by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. Funded with $1.5 billion, the program is expected to spur up to $15 billion in new lending to small businesses and manufacturers as states use federal funds to leverage private investment dollars. For more information on Kansas' SSBCI-funded programs, visit the Kansas Department of Commerce.[5] John Stearns covers real estate, development and banking. References^ John Stearns (feeds.bizjournals.com)^ Email (feeds.bizjournals.com)^ Twitter (twitter.com)^ Kansas Department of Commerce (www.bizjournals.com)^ Kansas Department of Commerce. (www.kansascommerce.com)...

k4d Spirit of Texas Bank assumed all of the deposits of Texas Community Bank, which the government closed Friday. Olivia Pulsinelli[1] Web producer- Houston Business Journal Email[2] | Twitter[3] | Google+[4] The Woodlands-based Texas Community Bank[5] NA was closed Friday by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency[6], and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.[7] was named the receiver. All deposit accounts were transferred to College Station-based Spirit of Texas Bank[8] SSB and will be available immediately, according to a statement posted on Texas Community Bank's website[9]. The former Texas Community Bank locations will reopen as branches of Spirit of Texas during regular business hours, and Texas Community Bank depositors will automatically become depositors of Spirit of Texas, the FDIC said[10]. As of Sept. 30, Texas Community Bank had about $160.1 million in total assets and $142.6 million in total deposits. Additionally, Spirit of Texas Bank agreed to purchase about $147.9 million of the failed bank’s assets, and the FDIC will retain the rest for later disposition. Spirit of Texas has eight locations in the Houston area, according to its website. In late February, a Harris County court ruled Texas Community Bank was not liable for any damages in a $41 million lawsuit that has spanned three years. At the time, industry observers expected the resolution would help the struggling bank’s future prospects[11]. In recent years, the bank had an elevated Texas ratio — the level of nonperforming assets compared to the amount of equity it had to cover those assets. Olivia Pulsinelli is the web producer for the Houston Business Journal's award-winning website. Follow her on Twitter for more[12]. References^ Olivia Pulsinelli (feeds.bizjournals.com)^ Email (feeds.bizjournals.com)^ Twitter (twitter.com)^ Google+ (plus.google.com)^ Texas Community Bank (www.bizjournals.com)^ Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (www.bizjournals.com)^ Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (www.bizjournals.com)^ Spirit of Texas…

Larry D. Moore, Wikimedia Charles Schwab, chairman of the brokerage firm that bears his name. Mark Calvey[1] Senior Reporter- San Francisco Business Times Email[2] | Twitter[3] | LinkedIn[4] | Google+[5] Chuck Schwab[6] visited China in September to meet with government regulators about the possibility of opening a Charles Schwab[7] branch in Shanghai. "There's a massive opportunity there, they are very underserved," the San Francisco entrepreneur told Reuters [8]Monday. The Shanghai office would represent a shift in Schwab's thinking. At the firm's 2011 Impact conference for independent money managers, Schwab was critical of China's lack of protection for intellectual property such as trademarks. To be fair, Schwab's China reference was a passing comment in a series of candid remarks that largely focused on Washington's leadership, or the lack thereof. Or to use his words at the time, America is "thirsty for leadership." I assume this year's government shutdown didn't improve his view of matters. I suspect that China is now talking Schwab's language. Specifically, the Shanghai Free Trade Zone that is being organized to attract foreign financial institutions. Schwab (NYSE: SCHW) has operated a Hong Kong office since 1997. Schwab also sees the value of being on the ground ahead of competitors courting retail investors. Schwab likened the state of individual investors in China to retail investors in 1950s America, when most did not participate in the stock market and were largely ignored by big brokerages. Given today's era of 401(k)s, CNBC and $8.95 stock trades, it's hard to imagine how foreign Wall Street was to most Americans 30 years ago, much less 60. Mark Calvey covers banking and finance for the San Francisco Business Times. References^ Mark Calvey (feeds.bizjournals.com)^ Email (feeds.bizjournals.com)^ Twitter (twitter.com)^ LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com)^ Google+ (plus.google.com)^ Chuck Schwab (feeds.bizjournals.com)^ Charles Schwab (feeds.bizjournals.com)^ told Reuters (www.reuters.com)...