Strategic Insights into Banking & Fintech

A refresher on banks ending overdraft, NSF fees

A refresher on banks ending overdraft, NSF fees

Let's talk about overdraft fees.Citigroup just announced that it had removed overdraft, overdraft protection transfer and returned item fees from its Citi Retail Banking consumer accounts, among other changes. It is the largest U.S. bank to make such dramatic changes to its policies. But many other banks are reducing or eliminating overdraft and nonsufficient funds (NSF) fees. While some of this is likely tied to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's heightened

June 21, 2022
ECB in Mass. raises purchase limits for mutual conversion

ECB in Mass. raises purchase limits for mutual conversion

ECB Bancorp in Everett, Mass., is letting investors buy more shares of its stock as part of its mutual-to-stock conversion. The $733 million-asset ECB said in a press release Tuesday that the maximum purchase limitation for individual investors was increased from 35,000 shares to 55,000 shares.  The limit for a collective of purchasers was raised from 50,000 shares to 70,000 shares. Completion of the conversion of Everett Co-operative Bank, and the stock

June 21, 2022
Digital FCU in Mass. lines up new CEO

Digital FCU in Mass. lines up new CEO

Digital Federal Credit Union in Marlborough, Mass., will soon have a new CEO. The $9.8 billion-asset credit union said in a press release that Shruti Miyashiro will also succeed the retiring Jim Regan as president on Aug. 1.  Miyashiro has been the CEO of the $2.3 billion-asset Orange County’s Credit Union in California since 2007. Regan has been in his current positions at DCU for the past 13 years. Regan’s “leadership, commitment and

June 21, 2022
Truist officially debuts new technology center

Truist officially debuts new technology center

Truist Financial has officially launched its technology center in downtown Charlotte, N.C. The $544 billion-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that the 100,000-square-foot center features “client journey rooms,” a research lab and collaboration hubs where teams will work with clients to improve products and services. The new center "is ultimately all about our clients — a unique space that brings together direct client input with some of the best and

June 21, 2022
Two Rivers in Iowa to cross $1B of assets via M&A

Two Rivers in Iowa to cross $1B of assets via M&A

Two Rivers Financial Group in Burlington, Iowa, has agreed to buy Lee County Bank in West Point, Iowa.The $972 million-asset Two River did not disclose the price it will pay Lee Capital for the $239 million-asset Lee County Bank. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter. Two Rivers and Lee County “are two organizations sharing the same customer-centric banking focus and compatible cultures,” Frank Delaney, Two Rivers’ chairman,

June 21, 2022
CFPB plans to review mortgage, credit card rules

CFPB plans to review mortgage, credit card rules

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau plans to review credit card rules as the qualified mortgage rule. Rohit Chopra, the CFPB’s director, said in a Friday blog post that the bureau will look at changes made to the QM rule’s underwriting standards, along with the CARD Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. “The CFPB aspires to more clearly communicate the agency’s expectations in simple and straightforward terms, which will produce more durable guidance

June 21, 2022
New Peoples in Va. working through systems issue

New Peoples in Va. working through systems issue

New Peoples Bank in Honaker, Va., is working through systems outages.The $813 million-asset bank said in a post on its website that it “is working diligently to address and investigate a recent incident” that is interrupting the operation of its computer systems. The bank, which is looking to restore its computer systems “as quickly and safely as possible," said on its Facebook page that the issues began on Wednesday. New Peoples said, for

June 17, 2022
First National in Michigan names new president

First National in Michigan names new president

First National Bank & Trust in Iron Mountain, Mich., has a new president. The $421 million-asset bank said Russell Kassin had succeeded David Kashian, who will remain chairman and CEO until 2023.“Our goal during this period is to make this transition to the next generation of leadership as seamless and transparent as possible for all of our stakeholders," Kashian told the Iron Mountain Daily News. Kassin “is an outstanding choice as my

June 17, 2022