Strategic Insights into Banking & Fintech

Fintech Paige receives investment from 22nd State Bank in Alabama

Fintech Paige receives investment from 22nd State Bank in Alabama

Paige, a fintech that assists banks with legacy and estate planning services, has secured an investment from 22nd State Bank in Mobile, Ala. Emily Cisek, Paige's CEO, announced the $2.5 million investment on her LinkedIn account. "This wasn't just a financial decision for them," Cisek wrote. The bank invested "because they see what we see: that when a bank shows up for a family at the level Paige makes possible,

April 22, 2026
American Momentum in Texas hires Sunflower exec as new CEO

American Momentum in Texas hires Sunflower exec as new CEO

American Momentum Bank in College Station, Texas, has a new CEO. Bo Scott also become the $2.8 billion-asset bank's president. He was chief banking officer at Sunflower Bank. "Honored and energized — those are the two words that keep coming to mind as I step into the role," he wrote on his LinkedIn account. "American Momentum has built something genuinely special — a $2.8 billion relationship-driven institution with deep roots

April 22, 2026
New fund formed to invest in fintechs

New fund formed to invest in fintechs

The former chief innovation officer at Colony Bank in Georgia has launched a fund to invest in fintechs. Christian Ruppe announced in a LinkedIn post that he and Zach Forbes, the president of impactFI Advisors, had created The Perch Fund. "Our philosophy is simple: we invest in the bank technology companies that Financial Institutions will actually use," Ruppe said in the post. "We are not hunting unicorns. We are investing

April 22, 2026
Sauk Valley Bank in Illinois lines up next CEO

Sauk Valley Bank in Illinois lines up next CEO

Sauk Valley Bank & Trust in Sterling, Ill., has its next leader lined up. The $736.2 million-asset bank said in a LinkedIn post that Brad Ray had become an executive vice president with an expectation that he will become president and CEO in 2027. Ray previously served as president and CEO of Security Savings Bank. “We are excited to welcome Brad to our executive management team,” said Dirk Meminger, the

April 22, 2026
Sunwest in Utah to buy Denver branches from Nicolet Bankshares

Sunwest in Utah to buy Denver branches from Nicolet Bankshares

Sunwest Bank in Andy, Utah, has agreed to buy Denver branches from Nicolet Bankshares. The $4 billion-asset Sunwest didn't disclose how much it would pay for the branches, which Nicolet inherited from its purchase of MidWestOne Financial Group. MidWestOne gained the locations when it acquired Denver Bancshares in 2024. The Denver branches Nicolet acquired had about $390 million in loans and $380 million in deposits as of March 31. The

April 21, 2026
Group applies to form Florida Bank of Finance in Miami

Group applies to form Florida Bank of Finance in Miami

A group is looking to form a commercial bank in Miami. Organizers of the proposed Florida Bank of Finance applied to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on April 16. The filing wasn't immediately available. A legal notice tied to the filing lists seven organizers: Lorenzo Delzoppo, Roberto Munoz, Daniel Prinzing, Carlos Domingo, Katya Fisher, Marco Guerra de Sa, Fred Matera. Munoz was Miami market president for First Horizon and a

April 21, 2026
Vista National in Kansas changes name to Ventura National

Vista National in Kansas changes name to Ventura National

Vista National Bank & Trust in Harveyville, Kan., has a new name. The $63 million-asset bank said in a press release that it had rebranded as Ventura National Bank & Trust. The move followed the realization that a similarly named bank was coming up in searches. “AI has accelerated how quickly brand distinction, or lack thereof, becomes visible,” Chris Williams, the bank's co-founder and CEO, said in the release. “That

April 21, 2026
LendingClub Bank to rebrand as Happen Bank

LendingClub Bank to rebrand as Happen Bank

LendingClub in San Francisco plans to rename its bank. The fintech said in a press release that it will rebrand LendingClub Bank as Happen Bank. The new brand, which will debut this summer, reflects LendingClub's transition "from a pioneering online lender to a diversified digital-first bank that combines lending and deposits in an intuitive multi-product customer experience," the release said. "The LendingClub name no longer fits with everything we offer today,"

April 21, 2026