Strategic Insights into Banking & Fintech

Proposed Colo. bank gets conditional OCC approval

Battle Financial, the holding company for a proposed digital bank in Avon, Colo., has received conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.  Organizers said in a press release that they expect to open the bank early next year.   “I’m pleased to have accomplished this key milestone with the OCC and […]

Capital in Md. taps insider to oversee fintech business

Capital Bank in Rockville, Md., has tapped an insider to run its fintech business.  The $2.2 billion-asset bank said in a press release that Karl Dicker had become president of OpenSky and fintech. OpenSky is the bank’s secured Visa credit card.    “Karl has been instrumental in the development and growth of OpenSky,” Ed Barry, […]

Investment adviser team leaves Atlantic Union to form firm

Four investment advisers have left Atlantic Union Bankshares in Richmond, Va., to form their own firm. Dover Advisors was launched in August after the advisers left the $19.7 billion-asset Atlantic Union’s wealth management division, according to Richmond BizSense.    The firm’s president, Jess Ellington, had been the bank’s chief investment officer. He had led the […]

State Street hires Google exec to oversee global compliance

State Street in Boston has hired a former Google executive to serve as its global chief compliance officer. The $300 billion-asset company said in a press release that Yvette Hollingsworth Clark will report to Brad Hu, its global head of risk. She will also be accountable to the board’s examining and audit committee.   Hollingsworth […]

BNY Mellon to manage digital assets for clients

Bank of New York Mellon has formed a platform to manage digital assets.  The $438 billion-asset company said in a press release that its digital asset custody platform allows clients to hold and transfer bitcoin and ether.    The move comes a year after BNY Mellon formed a unit to develop solutions for digital asset […]

Prosperity in Texas announces two bank deals

David Zalman is back in the M&A game with two acquisitions. Prosperity Bancshares in Houston has agreed to buy Lone Star State Bancshares in Lubbock, Texas, and First Bancshares of Texas in Midland, marking Prosperity’s first bank deals since it bought LegacyTexas Financial Group in 2019.  The $37.4 billion-asset Prosperity will pay $228.7 million in […]

Affinity in Ga. discloses president’s planned departure

Affinity Bancshares in Covington, Ga., will consolidate two roles following the expected resignation of its president. The $767 million-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing that Gregory Proffitt, who is also president of its bank, plans to resign by Nov. 18. Affinity said its board, at its next meeting, will likely appoint CEO Edward Cooney […]

Sterling in Mich. sues founder over defunct mortgage program

Sterling Bancorp in Southfield, Mich., has filed a lawsuit against its founder and controlling shareholder. The $2.5 billion-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing that it filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against former CEO Scott Seligman and “other nominal defendants.” The lawsuit, which seeks to claw back […]

Rhinebeck to pay fine to address auto loan processes

Rhinebeck Bank in Rhinebeck, N.Y., agreed to pay a $950,000 fine to address claims by the New York State Department of Financial Services that it violated the state’s fair lending law. The $1.3 billion-asset bank also agreed to provide restitution to affected customers, the regulator said in a press release. Rhinebeck’s “specific policies and practices […]

BofA settling legal claims from 2008 financial crisis

Bank of America in Charlotte, N.C., agreed to pay about $1.8 billion to resolve claims that go back to the 2008 financial crisis.  The $2.2 trillion-asset Bank of America disclosed in a regulatory filing that it will pay the settlement to Ambac Assurance to address pending Ambac lawsuits against the company and its subsidiaries. Pending […]

Texas group creates platform to test fintech products

Bankers Helping Bankers, a program associated with the Independent Bankers Association of Texas, has created a platform to let participants pilot fintech products. Participating banks will help vetted fintechs by beta testing products, providing feedback, influencing product development and assisting with rollout strategies. Banks that pilot products “have potential fintech partnerships at low to no […]

Home Federal to buy Northwest Bancshares in La.

Home Federal Bancorp in Shreveport, La., has agreed to buy Northwest Bancshares in Benton, La. The $590.5 million-asset Home said in a press release that it will pay $10.1 million in cash for the $81.7 million-asset parent of First National Bank of Benton. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter. A portion […]

Republic First reaches truce with Driver Management

Republic First Bancorp in Philadelphia has reached a truce with a large shareholder. The $5.7 billion-asset company said in a press release that it has secured a cooperation agreement with Driver Management. As part of the agreement, Republic First appointed Peter Bartholow, former chief financial officer and chief operations officer at Texas Capital Bancshares, to […]

Q2 buys machine learning platform Sensibill

Q2 Holdings in Austin, Texas, has acquired Sensibill in Toronto, Canada. Q2 said in a press release that it bought the machine learning platform on Oct. 3. The price wasn’t disclosed. “Delivering differentiated and personalized experiences through the digital channel is a top priority,” Kirk Coleman, Q2’s chief banking officer, said in the release. “Sensibill’s […]

Community Heritage in Md. discloses cyber breach

Community Heritage Financial in Middletown, Md., was the target of a cybersecurity attack. The parent of the $873 million-asset Middletown Valley Bank said in a press release that it determined that there was unauthorized access to a portion of its IT system.  The company said it implemented “a series of containment and remediation measures” within […]

Capital One in Va. merges bank subsidiaries

Capital One Financial in McLean, Va., has merged its two banks into a single subsidiary. The $435.3 billion-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing that it merged Capital One Bank (USA) into Capital One NA. Capital One NA is the surviving entity. Capital One NA had $388.4 billion of assets on June 30, while Capital […]

Customers in Pa. sells unsecured consumer loans

Customers Bancorp in West Reading, Pa., has sold a $500 million portfolio of unsecured consumer installment loans. The $20.3 billion-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing that the loans were sold to an entity managed by a global asset manager with more than $100 billion in historical investment activity. The loans were sold at 99.5% […]

Taiwanese bank plans U.S. entry via acquisition

Taichung Commercial Bank in Taipei, Taiwan, plans to enter the U.S. with the acquisition of American Continental Bancorp in City of Industry, Calif. The $26 billion-asset Taichung Commercial said in a press release that it agreed to pay $82.1 million in cash for the $324 million-asset American Continental. The deal, which is expected to close […]

1895 Bancorp in Wisconsin shuffles exec ranks

A pair of key roles have changed at 1895 Bancorp of Wisconsin in Greenfield. The $536 million-asset 1895 Bancorp said in a press release that David Ball, its president and chief operating officer, had become its CEO. Ball succeeded Richard Hurd, who stepped down as CEO to become executive vice president of strategic planning. Monica […]

Evolve Bank resolves claims of discriminatory mortgage practice

Evolve Bank & Trust in Memphis, Tenn., will pay about $1.3 million to settle claims that it engaged in lending discrimination on the basis of race, sex and national origin in the pricing of its mortgages from 2014 to 2019.  The Justice Department said in a press release Thursday that the $1.3 billion-asset bank will […]

M&T to sell insurance agency to Gallagher

M&T Bank in Buffalo, N.Y., has agreed to sell its insurance agency to Arthur J. Gallagher. The $204 billion-asset bank said in a press release that it will sell M&T Insurance Agency in a deal that is expected to close in the fourth quarter. The price wasn’t disclosed.    The insurance agency specializes in property […]

Bank Five Nine in Wis. lines up next CEO

Bank Five Nine in Oconomowoc, Wis., will soon have a new CEO. The $1.5 billion-asset bank said in a LinkedIn post that Tim Schneider will also become its president in October. Schneider previously served as a senior vice president at Nicolet National Bank.    Before that, he was the CEO of Investors Community Bank in […]

Six big banks to participate in Fed climate-risk study

Six large U.S. banks will participate in a Federal Reserve pilot program designed to examine banks’ climate-related financial risks. The Fed said in a press release Thursday that Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo will participate in the program, which is expected to begin early next year.    […]

Brookline in Mass. taps insider as next bank CEO

Brookline Bancorp in Boston will soon have a new bank CEO. The $8.5 billion-asset company said in a press release Thursday that William Tsonos will also become the president of Bank Rhode Island on Nov. 1. Tsonos, who joined Brookline in 2006, is the bank’s executive vice president of commercial lending.    Tsonos will succeed […]

M&T to compensate clients harmed by integration

M&T Bank said it is taking steps to compensate customers who were stung by the Buffalo, N.Y., bank’s conversion of People’s United Financial in Bridgeport, Conn. The $204 billion-asset M&T, which bought People’s United earlier this year, experienced glitches and other issues as part of the integration process.    “For customers who were unable to […]