The Sunshine State deal comes following a banner year for credit union-bank combinations, despite pushback from community banking advocates.

MainStreet Bancshares in Fairfax has closed its banking-as-a-service subsidiary after the unit fell far short of meeting its revenue and deposit targets.

Nashville-based FB Financial announced the opening of a new office in Asheville, North Carolina, a week after striking a $381 million deal for an Alabama-based community bank.

The Seattle-based company, which had made home loans for more than a century, announced it was quitting the mortgage business in January. It booked nearly 400 small business loans in the first quarter and expects that total to grow as its team gains traction.

The U.K. challenger bank's Engine tech unit has registered in Delaware and will soon begin hiring a small staff on the East Coast. It faces the stiff challenges all new core banking software providers face in this country.

Just as two North Carolina universities have dominated college basketball in recent decades, two banks from the Tar Heel state have dominated much of U.S. banking since 1990, turning Florida, especially, into a "banking colony."

A former TD Bank employee pleaded guilty to a felony in connection with a check-fraud scheme; EWA provider DailyPay filed a lawsuit against New York Attorney General Letitia James; First Citizens BancShares ended the shared-loss agreement it made with the FDIC after acquiring Silicon Valley Bank; and more in this week's banking news roundup.

Despite dire warnings of catastrophe, the deregulation of surface transportation in the 1970s delivered huge benefits to consumers. The banking industry is ripe for a similar regulatory restructuring.

Federal Reserve Gov. Michelle Bowman has been a crucial ally for community banks. With her impending rise to regulatory vice chair, small banks worry about losing their direct access to the Fed's board of governors.

Acquiring Raptor Partners positions the Pittsburgh-based bank to offer advice to its middle-market and corporate clients, according to CEO Vincent Delie.

A technique first used to sell flowers and gifts has evolved into one of the financial service industry's most effective digital tools for acquiring customers and selling products and services.

Federal regulators' plan to rescind reforms to the anti-redlining Community Reinvestment Act implementation rules disappoints community advocates, but gives banks clarity by reverting to longstanding CRA rules.

The Fitzgerald-based Colony Bankcorp agreed to pay $3.5 million to purchase an agency in Monroe, Georgia. The deal signals the potential return of more banks buying insurers than selling them.

The Suffolk, Virginia-based bank has agreed to pay more than $200 million for Old Point Financial in Hampton. It announced the deal just two days after its previous acquisition closed.

The federal Small Business Investment Company program has seen a spike in interest since a new rule incentivizing support for early stage companies took effect in 2023. Now there is growing political support for ways to further bolster the program.

Equity Bancshares said it would pay nearly $87 million in cash and stock to acquire NBC Corp. of Oklahoma. If it closes, the deal will be Equity's 13th bank acquisition since 2015.

With South Florida's economy expected to continue outperforming the rest of the nation, Banesco USA is laying plans to extend its reach into Broward, the wealthy and populous county just north of its Coral Gables home base.

The proposed sale of Territorial Bancorp faced competing offers that delayed its closing by several months. But Hope ultimately won shareholder and regulatory approvals.

"I can't just go fishing in the ocean," said Grasshopper Bank CEO Michael Butler, referring to his bank's ability to gather deposits. "JPMorgan Chase is out there with a yacht, and I'm driving a small speedboat."

The $381 million deal for Alabama-based Southern States Bancshares would give FB entree to the sprawling Atlanta market. CEO Christopher Holmes said the bank would likely focus on nearby suburban communities initially.