Strategic Insights into Banking & Fintech

Republic First in Pa. expands board ahead of annual meeting

Republic First in Pa. expands board ahead of annual meeting

Shareholders of Republic First Bancorp will vote to fill three board seats at the next annual meeting after the Philadelphia company decided to add another director slot.   The $6.2 billion-asset company said in a press release that it will increase the size of its board from seven to eight directors prior to the Oct. 3 annual meeting.   “This addition is part of the board’s ongoing refreshment process intended

July 1, 2023
Pathfinder in NY adds Castle Creek exec to its board

Pathfinder in NY adds Castle Creek exec to its board

Pathfinder Bancorp in Oswego, N.Y., has added an executive at a high-profile bank investor to its board. The $1.4 billion-asset company said in a press release that Anthony Scavuzzo had joined its board. He is a managing principal at Castle Creek Capital in San Diego. Castle Creek is a private equity firm that specializes in the community banking industry. Castle Creek, under a May 2019 securities purchase agreement, was allowed

June 30, 2023
How CCFNB, Muncy Bank rekindled merger talks

How CCFNB, Muncy Bank rekindled merger talks

CCFNB Bancorp in Bloomsburg, Pa., and Muncy Bank Financial in Muncy, Pa., decided to take a second chance at romance. The $944 million-asset CCFNB and the $633 million-asset Muncy Bank were nearing a definitive agreement in April 2022 when talks ended over a disagreement on “operational matters,” according to a regulatory filing tied to their pending merger. The companies would “rekindle” their talks a year later, reaching an agreement in

June 30, 2023
Fed: 57 entities certified to use FedNow ahead of launch

Fed: 57 entities certified to use FedNow ahead of launch

Nearly 60 entities have been certified to use the Federal Reserve’s real-time payments system. The central bank said in a press release that 57 early adopter organizations, including financial institutions and service providers, have completed formal testing and certification for its FedNow Service. FedNow is expected to launch in late July. Early adopters are performing final trial runs to confirm readiness to support live transactions. Those participants include 41 financial

June 30, 2023
First Bank in Mo. hires former Happy State exec as next CEO

First Bank in Mo. hires former Happy State exec as next CEO

First Bank in Creve Coeur, Mo., will have a new CEO in 2024. The $6.6 billion-asset bank said in a press release that Shelley Siefert will retire at the end of this year. Siefert, who has served as CEO since 2019, will be succeeded by Mikel Williamson, who recently stepped down as Texas president of Happy State Bank. Williamson, who was Happy State’s CEO when it was sold to Home

June 29, 2023
Remittance fintech Sendwave plans neobank

Remittance fintech Sendwave plans neobank

Sendwave, a Boston-based remittance firm owned by Zepz, plans to open a neobank backed by Piermont Bank in New York. The fintech said in a press release that Sendwave Pay will offer U.S. customers a debit card and reimbursement for international transaction fees when the card is used internationally. “Investing in meaningful innovations to serve the needs of cross-border communities is part of our purpose and at the heart of

June 29, 2023
Bangor Savings to launch first credit card products

Bangor Savings to launch first credit card products

Bangor Savings Bank in Maine is planning to introduce its first suite of credit card products. The $7.4 billion-asset Bangor Savings is set to launch “everblue” for retail and commercial clients, Bob Montgomery-Rice, the bank’s president and CEO, told the Bangor Daily News. Business credit cards are set to debut, while consumer cards will launch in July. The product is the latest expansion move for Bangor Savings. The bank has

June 29, 2023
Fed’s Bowman: Improvements needed for contested applications

Fed’s Bowman: Improvements needed for contested applications

While the Fed approved a branch application by Vantage Bank Texas in San Antonio, a member of its board raised questions about the review process. The $3.5 billion-asset Vantage was seeking permission to open a location in Houston. At least two commenters objected, claiming that Vantage had discriminatory lending practices. Despite unanimous board support,Fed Gov. Michelle Bowman said process improvements are needed. “I support the approval of this application,” she

June 28, 2023