Angelo Mozilo, one of the most-recognized faces of the 2008 financial crisis, has died. Mozilo, co-founder and former CEO of Countrywide Financial, died of natural causes at 84, according to a statement from his family foundation. Countrywide rode the subprime wave to become the nation’s biggest mortgage lender. Mozilo received a liftetime achievement award from American Banker in 2006. Bank of America bought the lender in a fire sale in early

Republic First Bancorp in Philadephia, Castle Creek Capital and Cohen Private Ventures have agreed to terminate a $125 million private placement of common stock. The $6.2 billion-asset Republic First said in a press release that current market conditions, particularly tightening of access to equity capital, has made it difficult to find additional investors prior to a Sept. 9 deadline. “We are executing on a clear strategy to address legacy issues

Another group is planning a bank in Houston. Organizers of the proposed Integrity Bank applied with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on June 30. The application wasn’t immediately available. Integrity would be a state savings bank. A legal notice submitted for the planned de novo listed 19 organizers. The organizers are Charles Neff Jr., Hazem Ahmed, John Able, Jamil Baba, Oscar Baker, Eric Calderon, Carol Chiu, Caroline Dwairy, Adel Foteh,

Blue Ridge Bankshares in Charlottesville, Va., has a new leader. The $3.3 billion-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing that Brian Plum resigned as its president and CEO on July 12. He also resigned from the board. William Beale, who recently became bank CEO, succeeded Plum and joined the company’s board. Beale was president and CEO of Community Bankers Bank in Chesterfield, Va., from November 2018 to July 2020. Last

Guaranty Bancshares in Addison, Texas, restructured a portion of its securities portfolio during the second quarter. The $3.2 billion-asset company said in a press release that it retooled about $14.3 million of available-for-sale securities “with minimal realized losses” that should be earned back in less than a year. Several other moves offset the losses, including a $2.8 million gain from selling nonmarketable correspondent bank stock. A $299,000 annual service provided

The Independent Bankers Association of Texas has formed a fintech accelerator program. The association said in a press release that IBATx is designed to provide rapid commercialization and streamline bank access to fintechs. As part of the launch, IBATx formed a partnership with CollateralEdge, a Texas fintech that specializes in providing commercial loan support to community banks. “Community banks provide the fuel that propels our robust Texas economy, so providing

Capital Bank in Washington, D.C., has recruited a veteran banker to its board. The $2.2 billion-asset bank said in a press release that Mary Ann Scully had become a director. Scully, dean of the Joseph A. Sellinger, S.J., School of Business and Management at Loyola University Maryland, is the former chairman and CEO of Howard Bank in Baltimore. Howard Bank was sold to F.N.B. Corp. in Pittsburgh last year. Steve

Jenius Bank, the digital-only division of Manufacturers Bank in Los Angeles, has debuted a new personal loan product. Jenius, which is supported by Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking, is planning other products, including savings and checking accounts and a mobile app. “Jenius Bank’s personal loans launch continues to fuel our mission to empower customers with smarter banking to create a richer life for themselves,” John Rosenfeld, the bank’s president, said in