Strategic Insights into Banking & Fintech

Equity Bancshares to sell three northern Kan. branches

Equity Bancshares to sell three northern Kan. branches

Equity Bancshares in Wichita, Kan., has agreed to sell branches in three northern Kansas markets to UBT Bancshares in Marysville, Kan. The $4.3 billion-asset Equity said in a press release Monday that it will sell three branches, located in Concordia, Belleville and Clyde, to the parent of the $738 million-asset United Bank and Trust. The sale, which includes $60 million of deposits and $24 million of loans, is expected to close

October 26, 2021
GreenState Credit Union to buy Illinois Bank

GreenState Credit Union to buy Illinois Bank

GreenState Credit Union in North Liberty, Iowa, has agreed to buy Midwest Community Bank in Freeport, Ill.The $8.5 billion-asset GreenState will buy assets and assume liabilities of the $368 million-asset Midwest Community, according to an announcement by Hovde Group. Hovde advised Freeport Bancshares, which is selling Midwest Community. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter. Midwest Community has three branches, seven loan production offices, $308 million of loans and

October 25, 2021
Esquire selling loans tied to NFL concussion settlement

Esquire selling loans tied to NFL concussion settlement

Esquire Financial Holdings in Jericho, N.Y., plans to sell its portfolio of loans tied to the National Football League’s concussion settlement program.The $1.1 billion-asset company said in a press release Monday that it moved the $23.6 million portfolio to held-for-sale status during the third quarter as part of a plan to sell the loans to an unnamed fund. The loans had a fair value of $14.2 million on Sept. 30,

October 25, 2021
MainStreet in Va. forms division focused on fintech

MainStreet in Va. forms division focused on fintech

MainStreet Bancshares in Fairfax, Va., has created a division dedicated to serve fintechs. The $1.7 billion-asset company said in a press release Monday that Avenu will expand on its Banking-as-a-Service (Baas) platform by offering fintechs a streamlined way to accept deposits and facilitate payments while managing risk and meeting compliance obligations. “We have come to know many fintech innovators and understand their unique needs,” Jeff Dick, MainStreet’s chairman and CEO, said

October 25, 2021
Trustmark paying $5M to resolve Fair Housing Act claims

Trustmark paying $5M to resolve Fair Housing Act claims

Trustmark in Jackson, Miss., will pay a $5 million civil money penalty tied to consent orders with regulators. The $17.1 billion-asset company said in a press release Friday that its bank entered into an order with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and a separate order with the Justice Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.  The orders address allegations that Trustmark violated the Fair Housing Act, the Equal

October 25, 2021
Piermont in N.Y. creates lending platform for fintechs

Piermont in N.Y. creates lending platform for fintechs

Piermont Bank, a de novo in New York, has created a platform to offer credit products to its fintech clients. The $347 million-asset bank said in a press release that BancFi will also serve fintechs’ end-users. The effort builds on the bank’s Banking-as-a-Service platform, which consists of more than 30 fintech clients. The bank also said it is committing $20 million of newly raised capital to technology initiatives. “The growth we have

October 25, 2021
Ally returning to credit cards with Fair Square purchase

Ally returning to credit cards with Fair Square purchase

Ally Financial in Detroit is getting back into credit cards with an agreement to buy Fair Square Financial in Wilmington, Del.The $79 billion-asset Ally said in a press release Thursday that it will pay $750 million in cash for Fair Square. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter.Ally said the deal provides it with “a scalable, digital-first credit card platform.”Fair Square, founded in 2016, has focused on providing

October 22, 2021
Business First to enter Houston with bank acquisition

Business First to enter Houston with bank acquisition

Business First Bancshares in Baton Rouge, La., has agreed to buy Texas Citizens Bancorp in Houston.The $4.4 billion-asset Business First said in a press release Thursday that it will pay $52.9 million in stock for the $517 million-asset parent of Texas Citizens Bank. The deal, which is expected to close in the first quarter, priced Texas Citizens at 151% of its tangible book value.Texas Citizens has six branches, $366 million

October 21, 2021