Jon Prior

First Busey Corp. is investing in software to eliminate the drudgery of some tasks. But this Best Bank to Work For will judge the success of the tech initiative by employee engagement more so than just efficiency. The goal is to boost morale.

The Portland, Oregon, company has tapped former Bank of the West executive Kevin Gillette to lead its expansion in Arizona.

Even as the pandemic has hastened adoption of digital banking, industry officials say branches remain vital points of contact with consumers.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has raised “certain regulatory concerns” about Blue Ridge Bankshares, delaying its combination with FVCBankcorp well into next year.

Despite some bumps in the early days of the Paycheck Protection Program, small businesses report that they had positive experiences with lenders. Savvy banks are channeling the good vibes to generate more revenue from a sector that has sometimes been overlooked.

Companies using only a person’s name and not other identifiers to screen job and tenant applications can produce inaccurate information, according to the bureau. The agency's advisory opinion said such practices violate the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

The $47.6 million deal would help MidWestOne, which has been opening offices in other parts of the U.S., to expand closer to home in Iowa.

The Texas bank, which has spent six years reducing its exposure to fossil fuel companies, aims to bottom out at around 5% of its total loan portfolio.

Fifty-three percent of community bank executives who participated in a recent survey said they’d spurn a takeover offer by a credit union, even if it was the highest bid. The findings underscore the rivalry between the two sectors at a time of rising consolidation.

During third-quarter earnings calls, Bill Demchak of PNC raised concerns about stablecoins, while Jane Fraser of Citigroup pledged that there will be accountability for fixing her company's regulatory troubles and Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase sounded downbeat about the Biden-era regulatory environment.

The Alabama company agreed to buy two nonbank lenders earlier this year. It’s still on the lookout for possible deals, potentially in corporate finance or wealth management, its chief financial officer told American Banker.

Zions and BOK Financial are eager to meet the anticipated rise in loan demand despite regulatory attention on the financial risks associated with climate change.

The Dallas company plans to move aggressively to recruit customers and employees of rival banks involved in mergers that are shaking up the banking landscape in two of its key markets.

Bill Demchak, whose company plans to allow crypto trading through a mobile app, nonetheless expressed concern that digital currencies pegged to the dollar could affect central banks’ ability to control the money supply.

In a bid to boost fee income, the Minneapolis company is upgrading its payments technology to allow businesses to manage inventory, payroll and other functions — as well as make payments — all in one place. The tech is modeled after an offering from Square.

Executives at Umpqua Holdings and Columbia Banking System said the deal could progress more slowly than usual because of a perceived approval backlog at the Federal Reserve. The two Pacific Northwest-based banks are seeking to combine into a $50 billion-asset company.

The Silicon Valley consumer lender first applied to become a national bank during the Trump administration. But the bid stalled amid criticism from consumer advocates and a leadership change at the OCC.

An Indiana housing nonprofit wants the Fed to take a closer look at the proposed merger. Its latest move is a lawsuit that alleges racial discrimination by the regional bank.

The Seattle bank, a unit of Washington Federal, said it viewed the payment as a “milestone” in its efforts to resolve issues found in its AML program more than three years ago.

Clothilde Hewlett, executive director and chief legal officer of the Cal Alumni Association, would succeed Manny Alvarez, who stepped down in June.