PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh is the latest large bank to eliminate nonsufficient fund (NSF) fees for consumer clients. The $552 billion-asset company did not disclose the financial impact of the move or when it will stop charging the fees. "PNC is focused on building a platform that empowers the financial well-being of its customers," Alex Overstrom, the company’s head of retail banking, said in the release. "Over the last several years,

FS Bancorp in Mountlake Terrace, Wash., has partnered with a fintech to create a loan application portal for home improvement projects. The $2.4 billion-asset company said in a press release that LoanStar Technologies in Swarthmore, Pa., has created a portal to prove bank financing to consumers looking to buy windows, roofs, solar panels and other goods and services. "We see LoanStar as a true technology partner," Ben Crowl, the bank’s director of

The pending purchase of Liberty Bancshares in Ada, Ohio, will help Middlefield Banc Corp. in Middlefield, Ohio, address a succession issue. The $1.3 billion-asset Middlefield agreed in May to buy the $437 million-asset Liberty for $64.4 million. The companies said at the time the deal was announced that Ronald Zimmerly Jr., Liberty’s president and CEO, would become Middlefield’s president after the deal closes. A regulatory filing associated with the merger makes it

Thread Bank in Rogersville, Tenn., has formed a strategic partnership with Unit, a Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform. Unit, which helps clients embed financial services into their products, said in a press release Wednesday that the $298 million-asset Thread is one of four banking partners it uses. "In collaboration with Thread, Unit will be able to empower more companies to offer unique banking solutions based on industry-leading technology and partners," Itai Damti, Unit’s CEO,

MainStreet Bancshares in Fairfax, Va., has formed a community development unit. The $1.8 billion-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that MainStreet Community Capital will focus on distressed, low-income communities around Washington by providing capital and other financial services. “Lifting up communities and unlocking their potential starts with investment, and we intend to use MainStreet Community Capital to leverage opportunity for underserved and underdeveloped areas,” Jeff Dick, the company’s chairman and

Harry Madonna is back at the helm of Republic First Bancorp in Philadelphia. The $5.7 billion-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that Madonna was named interim CEO, effective immediately. Madonna, who was previously named chairman, succeeded Vernon Hill Jr., who resigned. Berry Spevak also resigned from the company’s board. Harris Wildstein was reappointed as lead independent director. “We are entering a critical phase in the evolution of the institution and I and

Cogent Bancorp in Orlando, Fla., has entered four new business lines. The parent of the $1.2 billion-asset Cogent Bank has added teams to focus on blockchain-enabled customers, cannabis banking, premium finance and public finance. Cogent said in a press release that it is working with Green Check Verified, a cannabis-focused fintech, to offer its products and services to the industry’s supply chain system. That would include growers, manufacturers, distributors and dispensaries. The company

A pair with ties to Reliant Bancorp has raised capital to make a national push with a small bank in the Nashville, Tenn., area.Dan Dellinger and Farzin Ferdowsi recently raised $20 million for Sonata Bank, while opening an office in Brentwood, according to published reports. It is the second location for Sonata, which recently rebranded Sebree Deposit Bank. Dellinger is the bank’s president and CEO, while Ferdowsi is chairman. Dellinger was