Strategic Insights into Banking & Fintech

LendingClub, Pagaya buy intellectual property created by now-defunct Tally

LendingClub, Pagaya buy intellectual property created by now-defunct Tally

LendingClub in San Francisco and Pagaya Technologies in New York have partnered to buy the intellectual property behind the now-defunct Tally Technologies. Tally's consumer solution let users link credit cards, automate card payments and adopt strategies to lower interest costs and avoid late fees. The company also created an embedded, white-label B2B credit card debt management platform. LendingClub said in a press release that the deal will accelerate the evolution

October 9, 2024
HAPO Community Credit Union to buy Community First Bank in Wash.

HAPO Community Credit Union to buy Community First Bank in Wash.

HAPO Community Credit Union in Richland, Wash., has agreed to buy Community First Bank in Kennewick, Wash. The $2.3 billion-asset credit union said in a press release that it plans to buy the $632 million-asset Community First in the third quarter of 2025. The price wasn't disclosed. HFG Trust, a unit of Community First, will be restructured as an independent entity. HAPO will enter a strategic partnership with HFG Trust to

October 8, 2024
Grasshopper in NY to buy Auto Club Trust in Michigan

Grasshopper in NY to buy Auto Club Trust in Michigan

Grasshopper Bank in New York has agreed to buy Auto Club Trust in Dearborn, Mich. The $835 million-asset Grasshopper said in a press release that it will raise about $35 million in conjunction with the acquisition. The deal is expected to close in the first half of next year. The price wasn't disclosed. The $485 million-asset Auto Club Trust is a federal savings bank owned by The Auto Club Group.

October 8, 2024
Stryv Bank in Kansas promotes insider as next president

Stryv Bank in Kansas promotes insider as next president

Stryv Bank in Wichita, Kan., has a new president. The $236 million-asset bank said in a press release that Zach Weast succeeded Cuy Mauck, who remains CEO. Weast, who joined Stryv in 2018, was the bank's executive vice president, according to his LinkedIn profile. Stryv was created in September 2021 when Chisholm Trail State Bank rebranded.

October 7, 2024
Mass. mutuals River Run Bancorp, Rollstone Bancorp to merge

Mass. mutuals River Run Bancorp, Rollstone Bancorp to merge

River Run Bancorp in Newburyport, Mass., is planning to merge with Rollstone Bancorp in Fitchburg, Mass. The $2.6 billion-asset River Run said in a press release it plans to absorb the $900 million-asset Rollstone in the first half of next year. The mutuals did not disclose the merger's terms. "As community banks face challenges that could impact their long-term sustainability, River Run provides the structure for them to not only

October 7, 2024
How Bank Director’s AOBA conference spurred big bank merger

How Bank Director’s AOBA conference spurred big bank merger

Discussions between WesBanco in Wheeling, W.Va., and Premier Financial in Defiance, Ohio seemingly began at the Acquire or Be Acquired conference hosted by Bank Director. The $18.1 billion-asset WesBanco agreed in July to buy the $8.8 billion-asset Premier for $959 million in a deal expected to close in the first quarter. Talks began on Jan. 27 at a banking conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., when Jeffrey Jackson, WesBanco’s president and CEO,

October 7, 2024
NASB Financial in Mo. lines up new CEO for 2025

NASB Financial in Mo. lines up new CEO for 2025

NASB Financial in Kansas City, Mo., will have a new leader in 2025. The parent of the $2.8 billion-asset North American Savings Bank said in a press release that Tom Wagers will retire in January. He will be succeeded by Enrique Venegas, who was recently promoted to serve as president. Wagers will remain on the board as NASB and its bank. Venegas, who joined NASB in 2013, was the company's

October 4, 2024
Georgia grants Fiserv special charter to handle card transactions

Georgia grants Fiserv special charter to handle card transactions

The Georgia Department of Banking and Finance approved Fiserv’s application for a special banking charter that gives it direct access to card networks. The Brookfield, Wis., payments company, by obtaining the merchant acquirer limited purpose bank charter, no longer needs to partner with banks to process credit card transactions. The charter gives Fiserv the right to authorize, settle and clear payment transactions for merchants. Fiserv, which applied for the charter

October 4, 2024