Retail & Commercial

The move comes as the fintech tries to shake off criticism that its main products are payday loans by another name.

When established card networks such as Visa, American Express and Mastercard start investing in fintech lending platforms such as Divido and ChargeAfter — as well as in the fintech lenders themselves such as Klarna and Vyze — it’s a clear signal that the future of unsecured personal loans may not be delivered by banks.

The game has changed and bank executives will have to do more homework before striking a deal.

Clearer standards make it easier for shareholders to boost their stakes in banks without having to file for bank holding company status.

CardWorks also specializes in subprime credit cards and loans for recreational and marine vehicles.

The bank still plans to open branches on the West Coast even as it trims its overall U.S. footprint by 30%.

The deal for Boston-based Radius would be the first in history in which an online lender buys a mainstream bank.

Consumer advocates and policymakers are railing against use of the technology by government, universities and others. Banks using it for authentication need to tread cautiously, experts say.

Alexander most recently headed up mortgage lending and before that co-led the integration of Key's acquisition of First Niagara. He replaces Dennis Devine, who recently left the company.

The company will pay $130 million for Commerce Financial Holdings.