A bill to allow captive insurance companies to be reinstated as members of the Federal Home Loan Bank System appears to be dividing the FHLB community.

Rebeca Romero Rainey, while known as compassionate banker and less of a firebrand than her predecessor at the trade group, will take firm stands for small banks on reg relief, innovation and fair play, say those who know her.

FIs say that an appeals court’s decision to ease restrictions will allow them to warn customers more easily when loans are past due or accounts have been compromised. But consumer groups argue that the decision gives financial firms license to market their products more aggressively and could lead to more harassing phone calls over unpaid debts.

The company will also sell $58 million in deposits to West Gate Bank.

The Alabama company will enter Sarasota, Fla., after buying Premier for $52 million.

Ancora Advisors will place a representative on MutualFirst's board in exchange for supporting the company's director nominees and other policies.

The $6 million acquisition will add four businesses with a total of $700 million in assets under management.

Banks say that an appeals court’s decision to ease restrictions will allow them to warn customers more easily when loans are past due or accounts have been compromised. But consumer groups argue that the decision gives financial firms license to market their products more aggressively and could lead to more harassing phone calls over unpaid debts.

A growing number of fintechs are finding ways to cater their offerings to credit union members, including one co-founded by a former credit union CEO.

More buyers, spurred by increased lending and an improved economy, are pursuing deals for banks with an abundance of cheap deposits.

One fintech has a new twist on gamification — tie savings contributions to achievement in the most popular games.

In an update on the Deposit Insurance Fund, FDIC staff said the fund's ratio of reserves to estimated deposits will likely reach the required 1.35% level by the second half of 2018.

The San Juan company disclosed an error in the way it calculated the provision for losses in its commercial loan book.

Gulfside Bank, which would be based in Sarasota, is angling to become southwest Florida's first new bank in a decade.

The Berlin company hopes to shake up the U.S. market with real-time, mobile-first, millennial-friendly banking, and the new infusion of cash from Allianz and Tencent will help.

The bank will enable customers to access its 2,500 ATMs via mobile banking.

Organizers want to open the first new bank in Michigan since 2009, while a third group in Florida has filed a de novo application.

On Dec. 31, 2017. Dollars in thousands.

On Dec. 31, 2017. Dollars in thousands.

Banks need to figure out how to provide more value to customers or nonbank financial services companies could displace them.