Last fall, soon after Congress decided it would spend $700 billion to shore up the nation's flailing financial system, about 100 shareholders of Reunion Bank of Florida gathered for a party. Over crab fondue and London broil, they toasted the start of their spanking new bank. It had been decades since a locally grown bank had opened in Tavares, an old citrus hub about an hour by car from Orlando. "We had folks drive from 45 miles away," recalls Reunion co-founder and CEO Mike Sleaford. "Everyone was so excited."
Partying bank investors? That doesn't seem quite right. Since September, the bad...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
