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.

The North Carolina House of Representatives this week passed a measure that would allow credit unions to expand into geographic areas with few, if any, bank branches. Banks say such a change could open the door for credit unions to expand far beyond their limited missions.

The digital bank announced upgrades to its online and mobile platforms that let users see financial information from multiple accounts on one dashboard.

The two financial institutions issued Avit tokens on the Ethereum mainnet, marking a first in the U.S.

The Mississippi lender said regulators have signed off sooner than expected on its $103.6 million acquisition of First Chatham Bank. The bank's CEO and deal advisers said the speedy approval bodes well for future M&A.

A proposal before Congress would incentivize the creation of new banks by offering capital relief. This would give de novo banks a competitive advantage over incumbent community banks.

Americans spent 49% more on overdraft-related fees in 2023 than previously estimated, according to new research, which finds that credit unions were largely responsible for the previously uncounted revenue.

The fintech, which specializes in low or no fee banking and early access to paychecks, is now offering three-month installment loans.

San Antonio-based Broadway National Bank hopes marketing campaigns featuring old presidents with new looks will boost brand recognition in Dallas and Houston.

BankFirst Capital Corp. is seeking to bolster its presence in southern Mississippi with a deal to acquire Magnolia State.

The Connecticut bank said its newly minted president, Steven Sugarman, successfully led a private placement and signed a long-term employment agreement that makes him a potential CEO. David Lowery, current chief executive of Patriot, plans to step down in April.

The bipartisan co-chairs of the Community Financial Development Institution caucus sent a letter urging the Trump administration to continue supporting the CDFI Fund after it was slated for cuts in a recent executive order.

The Independent Community Bankers of America wants Congress to eliminate tax exemptions for credit unions with more than $1 billion of assets, scaling back an earlier request that would have targeted the entire credit union sector.

Bakkt is losing contracts with the bank and Webull just months after the company's acquisition talks with Donald Trump's Trump Media fell through.

The U.S. arm of Spanish banking giant Banco Santander is offering a high-yield savings account through its digital bank, Openbank, to eligible Verizon customers, a move that will introduce Santander to millions of potential new customers.