The $381 million deal for Alabama-based Southern States Bancshares would give FB entree to the sprawling Atlanta market. CEO Christopher Holmes said the bank would likely focus on nearby suburban communities initially.

Small lenders across the country, including Forte Bank in Wisconsin, promoted and recruited chief executives in recent weeks.

Javice sold her student-aid startup, Frank, to JPMorgan in 2021. Two years later, the bank accused her of creating fake profiles to boost the number of customers.

The bank now offers personal loans up to $50,000 to State Farm customers, the latest step in its effort to broaden its customer base by teaming up with other companies.

BMO hired former CEO of Citi Private Bank Halé Behzadi to accelerate the bank's growth strategy in California; Pennsylvania's Linkbancorp received regulatory approval to sell its New Jersey operations to a credit union; Dream First Bank announced plans to gain branches throughout Oklahoma; and more in this week's banking news roundup.

The midyear fee hike was necessary to reverse a revenue shortfall in the agency's 7(a) program, according to Administrator Kelly Loeffler.

The San Francisco bank announced Monday that it has shed its fifth regulatory order this year — this one related to loss mitigation practices in its home lending business.

A new Office of External Relations and Strategic Partnerships will continue the work of helping banks develop affordable credit for consumers lacking a credit score using untraditional methods of determining creditworthiness, the agency's acting head said.

The Connecticut bank disclosed that Nasdaq waived a shareholder approval requirement so it could urgently raise more than $50 million. Patriot also said its finance chief would step down.

The Trump administration's plans for student loans could open the door for banks to grab market share as borrowers seek alternatives.