Park National Corp's $317 million, all-stock deal for First Citizens Bancshares would give the buyer a presence in markets that are expected to grow faster than its legacy Ohio footprint.

The challenger bank in the third quarter launched Cash Coach, an AI-powered customer insights engine that helps consumers optimize earned interest in deposit accounts and minimize interest charges on credit cards. SoFi plans to roll out a "more comprehensive" SoFi Coach that incorporates all areas of financial services as part of its strategy to rival banks.

When a bank's customer dies, a patchwork of rules and regulations that vary by jurisdiction create a potential nightmare for survivors and creditors alike. The industry should converge around agreed-on best practices.

Banks should seize the opportunity to assert themselves as a key partner for consumers when it comes to verifying their identities across multiple platforms and services.

Nicolet Bankshares has agreed to buy MidWestOne Financial in an $864 million, all-stock deal. The acquisition will move the Wisconsin-based buyer into Iowa and the Twin Cities, while also allowing it to vault past a key regulatory threshold.

Boston-based Eastern Bankshares is focused on organic growth, but it would "evaluate the opportunity" for M&A if a deal presents itself, its CEO said Friday. The comments came four days after an activist investor criticized the bank's recent M&A transactions.

Some customers reportedly complained about getting locked out of their accounts after signing up for the bank's new Strata Elite credit card. "We feel like we have done the right thing for all of our good customers," Pam Habner, Citi's head of U.S. branded cards, said Tuesday.

The Richmond, Virginia-based bank expects to build 10 branches in Raleigh and Wilmington, North Carolina, over the next three years. M&A is on the back burner as the company also works to capitalize on its recent acquisition of Sandy Spring Bank in Maryland, CEO John Asbury said.

The American Bankers Association's assessment of the Biden administration's fair lending enforcement efforts makes questionable claims about a practice that remains a major problem in some U.S. communities.

U.S. regulators have reached a rock-bottom settlement deal with a former Wells executive accused of wrongdoing in the phony-accounts scandal. The OCC had sought to recover $10 million from Claudia Russ Anderson, a onetime risk executive at the bank.

Farmers National Banc Corp. in Ohio plans to acquire in-state rival Middlefield Banc Corp. in a deal that will deepen the buyer's footprint in Columbus.

An apparent increase in large-scale borrower fraud and the hot environment for bank mergers were the key themes as banks discussed their third-quarter results.

A proposal before Congress to raise the federal deposit insurance cap to $10 million for non-interest-bearing business accounts would help community banks continue recycling deposits into local lending.

The president of the planned Georgia Skyline Bank says he's cautiously optimistic that his group can raise $35 million of startup capital in time for an opening early next year.

The McClean, Virginia-based bank said Tuesday that credit quality remained strong in the third quarter, and that it has approved a plan to buy back $16 billion of common stock. It's temporarily tapping the brakes on loan growth as it digests the Discover acquisition.

Bank of America has a playbook for government shutdowns, which includes providing fee and payment waivers as well as loan deferrals and forbearance programs, CEO Brian Moynihan said at the American Bankers Association's annual convention.

Financial services firms have a responsibility to help more people — especially younger generations — navigate an increasingly complex financial landscape with clarity, confidence and optimism.

The parent company of Heartland Bank and Trust plans to acquire a smaller bank based in Carlinville, Illinois. The acquisition would give the buyer added heft in Central Illinois, as well as the Chicago and St. Louis metro areas.

The Boston-based bank is the second bank in three months to face pressure to sell by the activist investor group HoldCo Asset Management.

AlumniFi, the digital banking arm of Michigan State University's official credit union, is now an official bank partner for the NCAA's Big East conference.