Strategic Insights into Banking & Fintech

FDIC lets Block directly lend to Cash App users

Block received approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to directly offer small consumer loans to Cash App customers. The fintech said in a press release that Square Financial Services will start offering and servicing Cash App Borrow in the coming weeks. Block, which has been making the loans through an external bank partner, said the […]

Planters in Mississippi to buy Cross Keys Bank in Louisiana

Planters Holding in Indianola, Miss., has agreed to buy BSJ Bancshares in Saint Joseph, La. The $2 billion-asset Planters did not disclose how much it would pay for the parent of the $598.1 million-asset Cross Keys Bank. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter. “We look forward to our combined companies continuing […]

Lake Shore in N.Y. freed from Fed written agreement

Lake Shore Bancorp in Dunkirk, N.Y., has been freed from another regulatory order. The $698 million-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing that the Fed terminated a June 2023 written agreement. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency freed Lake Shore’s bank from a consent order in December. Lake Shore has now begun the […]

NuMark Credit Union to buy Lemont National in Ill.

NuMark Credit Union in Joliet, Ill., has agreed to acquire The Lemont National Bank in Lemont, Ill. The $851 million-asset NuMark did not disclose the amount of the all-cash transaction. The credit union expects to buy the $52 million-asset Lemont National in the second half of this year. “It is clear to us that our […]

Bar Harbor in Maine agrees to buy Guaranty in New Hampshire

Bar Harbor Bankshares in Bar Harbor, Maine, has agreed to buy Guaranty Bancorp in Woodsville, N.H. The $4.1 billion-asset Bar Harbor said in a press release that it will pay $41.6 million in stock for the $675 million-asset Guaranty. The deal, which is expected to close in the second half of this year, priced Guaranty […]

Legal settlement widens 4Q loss at Financial Institutions in N.Y.

Financial Institutions in Warsaw, N.Y. has settled civil litigation tied to its bank’s auto loan notification process. The $6.1 billion-asset company said in a press release that it agreed to make a $29.5 million cash payment to class members, release the debt owed to the bank, and remove adverse credit reporting for class members. The […]

American Express to buy software firm Center

American Express has agreed to buy expense-management software company Center. American Express did not disclose the price it would pay. The goal is to use Center to support the services Amex offers small businesses. Center helps companies better manage their finances by showing in real-time how much employees are spending.

Green Dot shakes up leadership, reviewing strategic alternatives

Green Dot in Provo, Utah, has hired an investment bank to help it explore strategic alternatives—often a prelude to selling. The fintech, which operates Green Dot Bank, said in a press release that it had shaken up its management with the departure of George Gresham as president and CEO. William Jacobs, the company’s chairman and interim CEO […]

Independence Bank in Rhode Island to voluntarily liquidate

Independence Bank in East Greenwich, R.I., plans to liquidate under a plan approved by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The FDIC, which had accused Independent of charging illegal fees tied to Small Business Administration 7(a) loans, announced the liquidation in a Jan. 14 consent order with the bank. Independence was also required to pay affected […]

Maryland Bankers Association selects next CEO

The Maryland Bankers Association has a new leader. The association said in a press release that Tisha S. Edwards had become its president and CEO. She will also serve as executive vice president of the Mid-Atlantic Bankers Association, the holding company formed last year when the MBA merged with the Virginia Bankers Association. Edwards was […]

Bank of Idaho nixed higher offer from credit union to sell to Glacier

Bank of Idaho Holding Co. in Idaho Falls considered selling to a credit union but cooled on the idea after meeting with legal counsel and the director of the Idaho Department of Finance. The $1.3 billion-asset company agreed last month to sell to Glacier Bancorp in Kalispell, Mont. for $245 million in a deal that […]

Seacoast to buy Heartland Bancshares in Florida

Seacoast Banking Corp. of Florida in Stuart has agreed to buy Heartland Bancshares in Sebring, Fla. The $15.2 billion-asset Seacoast said in a press release that it will pay $110 million in cash and stock for the $734 million-asset Heartland. The deal, which is expected to close in the third quarter, priced Heartland at 163% […]

Taktile raises $54 million in latest fund-raising round

Fintech Taktile raised $54 million in its latest fund-raising round. The company announced on its website that the Series B funding round was led by Balderton Capital with participation by existing investors Index Ventures, Tiger GLobal, Y Combinator, Prosus Ventures, Visionaries Club and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers. Taktile has raised an aggregate of $79 […]

Alkami to buy account-opening platform MANTL

Alkami Technology has agreed to buy Fin Technologies, which does business as MANTL. Alkami said in a press release that it is buying MANTL for an enterprise value of $400 million. The deal, which is expected to close on March 31, is subject to about $7 million of purchase price adjustments. Alkami said it plans to […]

CFPB’s New Leadership Dismisses Key Enforcement Lawsuits

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau dismissed enforcement lawsuits against Capital One Financial, Vanderbilt Mortgage & Finance, Rocket Homes Real Estate and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency. The bureau’s new leadership issued notices of voluntary dismissal in the four cases with prejudice, meaning that the cases are permanently closed. Under former Director Rohit Chopra, the […]

Popular in Puerto Rico lines up next CEO

Popular in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is finalizing its succession plan. The $73 billion-asset company said in a press release that Ignacio Alvarez will retire as CEO on June 30. Alvarez, who has led the company since 2017, will be succeeded by Javier Ferrer, who is president and chief operating officer. “From his earliest days […]

Triumph in Texas to buy logistics-focused AI company

Triumph Financial in Dallas has agreed to buy Greenscreens.ai, which provides a pricing solution for the logistics industry. The $5.9 billion-asset Triumph said in a press release that it will pay $160 million in cash and stock for the fintech, which uses machine learning to deliver short-term freight market pricing intelligence and business insights. The […]

Bank of Marin in Calif. says cooperation agreement with investor to end

Bank of Marin Bancorp in Novato, Calif., said a cooperation agreement with an investor group will soon end. The $3.7 billion-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing that Sanjiv Sanghvi will step down from the board at its next annual meeting. Sanghvi has been the board representative of the Kelly Trust parties as part of […]

Rio Financial to buy Lone Star Capital Bank in Texas

Rio Financial Services in McAllen, Texas, has agreed to buy Lone Star Capital Bank in San Antonio. The merger was disclosed by Stephens, which advised the $498 million-asset Lone Star. Rio Financial has around $900 million in assets. The price was not disclosed. Lone Star has seven branches. Its shareholders have already approved the merger.

Old Second in Illinois to buy Evergreen Bank for $197 million

Old Second Bancorp in Aurora, Ill., has agreed to buy Bancorp Financial in Oak Brook, Ill. The $5.7 billion-asset Old Second said in a press release that it would pay $197 million in cash and stock for the parent of the $1.5 billion-asset Evergreen Bank. The deal, which is expected to close in the third […]

QCR in Illinois promotes long-time CFO to become its next CEO

QCR Holdings in Moline, Ill., will soon have a new leader. The $9.1 billion-asset company said in a press release that Larry Helling will retire as CEO at its May 22 annual meeting. Todd Gipple, QCR’s president and chief financial officer, will succeed Helling, who will serve as a part-time adviser after his retirement. Nick […]

Patriot National in Conn. to report big 4Q loss tied to two CRE loans

Patriot National Bancorp in Stamford, Conn., which was recently hit with an enforcement action while exploring its strategic alternatives, warned that it lost money in the fourth quarter. The $974.1 million-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing that it expects to report a $9.5 million net loss, compared to $900,000 in net income a year […]

LifeSteps Bank in Alabama moves headquarters, changes name

A bank in Alabama has a fresh name and a new headquarters. The $70.1 million-asset LifeSteps Bank and Trust said in a press release that it had rebranded as Bank47 and moved its corporate offices from Union Springs to Huntsville. “Huntsville’s energy, innovation, and economic strength make it the perfect home for Bank47,” Hill Womble, […]

Yoakum National to buy Citizens State Bank of Ganado in Texas

Yoakum National BancShares in Yoakum, Texas, has agreed to buy Ganado Bancshares in Ganado, Texas. Yoakum, the holding company for the $327 million-asset Yoakum National Bank, did not disclose how much it will pay for the parent of the $55.9 million-asset Citizens State Bank of Ganado. Performance Trust Capital Partners, which advised Yoakum, disclosed the […]

Quaint Oak in Pa. selects insider as its new president

Quaint Oak Bancorp in Southampton, Pa., has a new president. The $701 million-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing that William Gonzalez had taken on the new role and joined its board. He was president and chief operating officer of Quaint Oak Bank. Gonzalez succeeded Robert Strong, who remains CEO.