The Latest

Marcus Rhymer, a 15-year veteran of the credit union, takes over for retiring CEO Brad Rustin.

First Merchants Corp. recently agreed to buy a minority stake in a bank in an attractive market. The move could allow the company to obtain intel while gaining an edge should the other bank decide to sell.

Prosper Marketplace is closing the secondary market for its loans, citing a lack of demand among investors.

While the Wells Fargo scandal might offer marketing opportunities for community banks, there is concern about regulatory fallout that fails to distinguish between large and small banks.

A strategy to reinvigorate black-owned financial institutions would not only bring hope to the black community but would also be an inspiration for other minorities who seek to be more effectively served by financial institutions that understand their needs.

Meta Financial in Sioux Falls, S.D., has agreed to buy most of the assets and liabilities for a company that handles transactions for tax preparers.

First Commonwealth Financial in Indiana, Pa., has agreed to buy DCB Financial in Lewis Center, Ohio, for $106 million in cash and stock.

Receiving Wide Coverage ...Deutsche's turn in the hot seat: Deutsche Bank replaced Wells Fargo as the financial world's favorite whipping boy, at least over the weekend. The Financial Times reports that Germany's deputy chancellor and economics minister, Sigmar Gabriel, "launched a blistering attack" on Deutsche's CEO John Cryan after Cryan last week blamed "forces in the market" for trying to destabilize the bank. "I didn't know whether I should laugh or be furious that a bank which turned speculation into a business model now declares itself the victim of speculators," Gabriel told reporters. Gabriel's comments "suggest that if push comes to shove, the bank can expect little sympathy from Berlin," the FT says.

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the double-edged sword that comes from broadly sharing their personal data.

EMV chip cards have delivered on their promise to halt counterfeit fraud at the physical point of sale. But for a technology developed long before the invention of e-commerce, mobile wallets and the word "omnichannel," delivering on its promise still feels like falling short.