The faster timelines for completing bank mergers this year reflects a transformed regulatory environment under the Trump administration. In several cases, deals have closed just a few months after they've been announced.

The deal brings together a banking core provider and a digital banking software platform to offer an end-to-end tech product for community and regional banks.

The expansion-minded Hampton Roads-based lender announced plans to acquire Dogwood State Bank just weeks before its plans to close a deal for a Virginia-based competitor.

Matt Mullet, the company's longtime chief financial officer, said he's spent the past year getting accustomed to the people side of management.

Banks want to reclaim their position as the central node in the customer relationship by charging fintechs and data aggregators for access to permissioned customer data. How the legal questions about this are resolved will be a telling moment for all concerned.

Medallion Financial CEO Andrew Murstein sees more growth on the horizon for the New York lender's fintech banking operation, which saw activity spike in the first half of the year.

Truist Foundation will fund a multiyear economic development initiative to revitalize business corridors in five Southeastern cities; First Horizon has hired Wells Fargo's Shaun McDougall to head consumer banking; Ally Financial commits over $150 million to support workforce development; and more in this week's banking news roundup.

Washington Trust Bank is executing a slow-but-steady de novo expansion inside the I-5 corridor on the western side of its home state. Its newest branch is slated to open this fall in Tacoma.

The Ohio-based bank opened its first branch in Alabama, with plans to open 14 more over the next three years.

With its acquisition of a Cleveland-area bank still in the works, the Cincinnati-based bank struck a deal that would provide its first retail presence in Chicago.

Amid waning federal support for community development financial institutions and minority depository institutions, a program launched by two banking trade groups is beginning to generate a steady stream of deposits for mission-focused lenders.

Revenues were up for the quarter, but stock compensation-related expenses brought the neobank to a negative net income.

In this week's banking news roundup: Fulton Financial's Angela Snyder announces plans to retire as president of the Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based bank; Columbia Banking System in Tacoma, Washington, finalizes plans for its latest acquisition; Flagstar Financial opens its first private banking office in Florida; and more.

Slashing capital requirements for the largest banks shows where the Federal Reserve's priorities lie — and it's not with community banks. This will make it even harder for small banks to compete with their larger peers.

We've just lived through a repeat of Operation Chokepoint, the federal effort to deny banking services to disfavored companies and individuals. We must know the full story so it can never happen again.

Berkshire Hills Bancorp and Brookline Bancorp are eyeing a September closing for their merger of equals, to be followed by a phased rollout of the new Beacon Bank & Trust brand.

Coastal Community Bank reported smaller profits in the second quarter as it prepared for a growth spurt. "We think we're winning the right business," said CEO Eric Sprink.

The New York-based digital-only bank is seeking to partner with more brands after a recent deal opened the way to serving millions of AAA customers.

High interest rates and tough economic conditions played a role in the credit woes that overcame BayFirst Financial's small-dollar lending effort.