Numisma, a Connecticut-chartered uninsured bank, was granted a Federal Reserve master account last week — the first bank with a novel charter to do so since the Fed issued its master account guidelines in 2022. Whether others can do the same is an open question.

The rise of ecommerce and vertical software-as-a-service platforms are prime opportunities for large banks to sell payment processing, card issuance and other banking capabilities.

Atlanta Postal Credit Union's bid to acquire Affinity Bank marked the 11th deal overall this year involving a credit union buying a bank, matching the total for all of 2023. Separately, members voted against the merger of two credit unions in Indiana.

Retailers like Walmart, Target and Dollar General are changing the ways they collect payments in person. This, in turn, could influence payment habits, but it is unlikely to slow the overall momentum of digital transactions.

The announcement comes after weeks of criticism from the bureau's director over fees including title insurance and credit scores.

The beleaguered Los Angeles-based bank reported its strongest quarterly results in more than a year, but executives at its Canadian parent company cautioned that improvements may not be linear.