City National Bank plans a new branch in California that fulfills one of its settlement obligations with the DOJ; Fiserv and PayPal expand their tech collaboration; Banc of California's Monica Sparks steps down; and more in this week's banking news roundup.

It's unclear what will happen when the Fed starts cutting interest rates, but community banks will be there to support their customers no matter what the economy looks like.

CEO Dominik Mjartan is stepping down after Optus Bank increased its assets more than 1,000% over seven years.

Bridgewater Bancshares agreed to acquire First Minnetonka Bancorp. in an all-cash transaction slated to close in the fourth quarter. It would create a nearly $5 billion-asset bank.

The average salary for these top compensated bank executives is more than $21 million.

The top five have more than $1.3 trillion in mortgage backed securities as of March 31.

Challenger bank OakNorth plans to kick its marketing into higher gear. Its desired endgame in the U.S. is a banking charter and it's open to an acquisition to help get it there.

Bringing in new talent is an essential part of building a business that endures. So, why are so many managers content to tolerate a hiring process that drives talented individuals away?

The top five have more than $2.6 trillion in combined securities as of March 31, 2024.

The $23 million cash transaction boosts Old Second's presence in its home Windy City market, while marking Muncie, Indiana-based First Merchants' exit from Illinois.

The combination, expected to close next year, would create a regional bank with $17 billion of deposits across 10 states.

Lower interest rates could bolster loan demand, credit quality and securities portfolios. But they could also curb lending profitability faster than they ease deposit costs, crimping net interest margins and eating into near-term profits.

The planned Altos Bank in Los Altos cleared a big hurdle this week when state regulators approved its application to open a startup bank. Organizers are hoping for a soft opening before year-end.

Most financial institutions are seeking ways to speed up payments, but one neobank is looking to slow them down to protect a segment of the population frequently targeted by scams.

Increased demand from borrowers may hinge on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues cutting interest rates this fall.

In a sea of generically named "First Banks of X" and "Community Banks of Y," financial institutions must decide if the painstaking rebranding process is worth the investment and risk to stand out.

Industry Bancshares got into a deep hole after rising interest rates tanked the value of its sizable bond portfolio. Now the Texas community bank is expecting a $195 million capital infusion and taking steps to start relying more on revenue from loans.

The Ames-based Ames National Corp. has watched its profits shrink over the past two years amid increased funding costs and stiff competition for deposits.

Toronto-Dominion Bank's expensive foray into the U.S. was supposed to supercharge its growth. Instead, it's become a drag on profitability and badly dented the lender's reputation.

Shan Hanes, the former leader of Heartland Tri-State Bank, previously pleaded guilty to embezzling tens of millions of dollars in a cryptocurrency scheme that caused the Kansas bank's failure.