Financial Institutions in Warsaw, N.Y., is shutting down its Banking-as-a-Service platform.
The $6.1 billion-asset holding company for Five Star Bank said in a press release that “the orderly wind down” followed a review by its management team and board as part of the annual strategic planning process.
The decision also considered the contribution of BaaS to the company’s core financial results, evolving regulatory expectations and a proposed rule tied to reclassifying BaaS deposits as brokered, Martin Birmingham, the company’s president and CEO, said in the release. The need for more investment in talent and technology to build scale was another factor.
“We see significant opportunity and growth potential for our retail banking, commercial banking and wealth management business lines within our existing geographic markets,” Birmingham added. “This decision allows us to continue to nurture those lines of business and drive value into the company.”
The financial impact should be minimal. The company has about $108 million of deposits and $31 million of loans tied to BaaS clients. Of the bank’s 12 BaaS partnerships, four are live, two are in onboarding, four have not yet begun testing and two are in the process of offboarding.
The bank expects to keep all personnel by refocusing those roles on supporting the growth of its core banking operations.