Growth strategies

Speculation is swirling that the Boston company will go on a buying spree after raising $1.8 billion, though some investors are advising caution. This tension makes CEO Bob Rivers one of our community bankers to watch in 2021.

The switch to Thomas Cangemi from longtime CEO Joseph Ficalora could foreshadow a push to curtail the company’s reliance on multifamily lending and the pursuit of a bank acquisition that lowers funding costs.

Chris Maher recently unloaded loans hurt by the coronavirus shock, convinced he was freeing the New Jersey company of baggage that could impede a large M&A deal. This assertive move makes him one of our community bankers to watch in 2021.

The company promoted two executives as part of an effort to revamp its leadership team and establish a bigger presence in the Carolinas.

Gilles Gade, one our community bankers to watch in 2021, led an effort that made Cross River Bank one of the biggest Paycheck Protection Program participants. He is ready for his team to pick up where it left off when the new stimulus package kicks in.

Members of $6.3 million-asset FIAFE Federal Credit Union will vote early next year on whether to merge into $43 million-asset Central Credit Union of Maryland.

With one study showing consumers racking up additional credit card debt this season, some members may be eager to consolidate their balances in the year ahead.

Riverside Health System Employees Credit Union has announced plans to merge into the Yorktown-based credit union, which is roughly 100 times its size.

The company will pay $20 million in cash for a bank with two branches and $58 million of loans.

Noninterest income has bolstered profits this year. But its growth is expected to slow over the next two years, making for a gloomy earnings outlook unless vaccine distributions and the economic recovery are relatively swift.

First Technology FCU, led by a former banker, stands ready to raise fresh capital by issuing subordinated debt. But first it must wait for a rule change from the National Credit Union Administration that's drawing fierce opposition from the banking industry.

The company agreed will pay nearly $10 million for Sunset parent Waukesha Bankshares.

The Columbus, Ohio, company says it has delivered on M&A promises before, and many observers say its deal for rival TCF Financial is an opportunistic move in its bid to build a Midwestern powerhouse. But others questioned whether Huntington's cost-cutting and profit expectations are too optimistic.

The deal would create a $168 billion banking company in the Midwest and be the latest in a string of regional bank combinations.

First Kansas, part of the multibank holding company Ottawa Bancshares, expects to complete the acquisition early next year.

The company hired two Atlantic Union bankers to run its bank and begin recruiting customers in and around Washington.

Acquirers shelved plans to buy banks this year as the coronavirus became widespread, but a combination of factors could spur the confidence to restart those conversations in the months ahead.

The companies took a pause from merger discussions when the pandemic hit to evaluate their individual circumstances.

The Massachusetts company, which had a big second-quarter loss after writing down the goodwill tied to past acquisitions, will sell eight branches to Investors Bancorp and shutter 16.

The company agreed to acquire a Colorado plan provider that operates as RPS Plan Administration and 24HourFlex.