Fintech

National Australia Bank and Australia & New Zealand Banking Group, the country’s third- and fourth-largest lenders by value, are in talks with Citigroup over the assets, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Arkansas company will gain branches around Nashville as part of the acquisition.

The company agreed to pay $104 million for a one-branch bank with $391 million of assets.

First-quarter transaction volume rose 61% from a year earlier as merchants began using the bank-backed network to accept and make more payments.

First-quarter transaction volume rose 61% from a year earlier as merchants began using the bank-backed network to accept and make more payments.

More than a year into the pandemic, with the U.S. economy improving and consumers having paid down debt, bankers are finally loosening the reins in auto lending and credit cards.

The "as a service" model cuts costs and streamlines deployment of new card programs and technology, says Zeta's Bhavin Turakhia.

Lenders including Howard Bancorp and First Carolina Bank are shunning acquisitions as a route into new markets, to avoid overpaying for targets and inheriting potential loan problems.

The company, once known as Southern National Bancorp of Virginia, plans to launch the as-yet-unnamed platform by the end of this year.

The purchases of Truck Insurance Specialists and Hometown Insurance are expected to help the company expand its dealings in transportation and agriculture.