Strategic Insights into Banking & Fintech

Checkout.com gets conditional approval for special Georgia charter

Checkout.com gets conditional approval for special Georgia charter

Checkout.com is the latest payments company to receive a special-purpose banking charter in Georgia. The payments processor said in a press release that it was approved for a merchant acquirer limited purpose bank charter. Conditional approval includes certain stipulations that must first be met. “Securing the charter allows Checkout.com to accelerate plans to operate as its own acquirer in the U.S.,” the company said. “This move underscores a significant expansion of

January 13, 2026
Metamore State Bank in Ohio rebrands as Bank419

Metamore State Bank in Ohio rebrands as Bank419

Metamora State Bank in Toledo, Ohio, has rebranded. The $98 million-asset community bank said in a Facebook video that it is now Bank419. The name reflects the market's area code. “We needed a name to reflect our commitment to all of northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan, not just one town,” Kathleen Fischer, the bank’s CEO, said in the video. “We needed a name that would grow with us while keeping us

January 13, 2026
United Roosevelt in N.J. to convert to stock-owned company

United Roosevelt in N.J. to convert to stock-owned company

United Roosevelt MHC in Carteret, N.J., is planning to convert from a mutual organization to a stock-owned company. The $352.6 million-asset mutual said in regulatory filings that it plans to form United Roosevelt Bancorp. Janney Montgomery Scott will help the company market its common stock. The company plans to sell 1.5 million to 2 million shares at $10 each, with expected proceeds of $14.9 million to $20.1 million. After funding

January 13, 2026
Old Glory, SPAC to merge and form crypto-focused company

Old Glory, SPAC to merge and form crypto-focused company

Old Glory Bank in Elmore City, Okla., and Digital Asset Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, have agreed to merge to form a crypto-focused financial institution. The bank, created when a group tied to Ben Carson bought and rebranded First State Bank in 2023, and the SPAC plan to form OGB Financial, a Texas corporation that will apply to be listed on Nasdaq. The merger is expected to close

January 13, 2026
U.S. Bancorp to buy advisory firm BTIG for up to $1 billion

U.S. Bancorp to buy advisory firm BTIG for up to $1 billion

U.S. Bancorp in Minneapolis has agreed to buy BTIG, a financial services firm specializing in investment banking, institutional sales and trading, research and prime brokerage. U.S. Bancorp said it will pay up to $725 million in cash and stock for BTIG, with up to $275 million in cash incentives in play over three years. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter. “BTIG’s top talent, capabilities and technology

January 13, 2026
First County in Connecticut hires Berkshire CEO as its new leader

First County in Connecticut hires Berkshire CEO as its new leader

First County Bank in Stamford, Conn., has hired Nitin Mhatre as its CEO. The $2.2 billion-asset bank said in a press release that Mhatre will succeed Robert Granata. Mhatre will become CEO on April 15, while Granata will remain chairman until July. Mhatre had been the CEO of Berkshire Bancorp in Boston since January 2021. Berkshire recently rebranded as Beacon Financial after buying Brookline Bancorp. Paul Perrault, Brookline’s chairman and

January 12, 2026
Proposed Echelon Bank in Florida receives conditional FDIC approval

Proposed Echelon Bank in Florida receives conditional FDIC approval

Organizers of the proposed Echelon Bank in Clearwater, Fla., have received conditional approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The group, which applied in July, must raise $23 million before opening the bank. Their plans include three branches and a loan production office in the first three years of operation. Echelon “will be a full-service, relationship driven, community bank, offering both commercial and retail banking services to its customers, which

January 12, 2026
Greenfield Savings in Massachusetts selects new CEO

Greenfield Savings in Massachusetts selects new CEO

Greenfield Savings Bank in Greenfield, Mass., has a new CEO. The bank said in a press release that Peter Albero had also become its president. Albero, who was chief financial officer and treasurer, succeeded Thomas Meshako, who retired. “Peter’s leadership and financial acumen make him the ideal choice to guide Greenfield Savings Bank into the future,” Meshako said in the release. “His dedication to our values and his vision for

January 10, 2026