Small lenders across the country, including Forte Bank in Wisconsin, promoted and recruited chief executives in recent weeks.

BMO hired former CEO of Citi Private Bank Halé Behzadi to accelerate the bank's growth strategy in California; Pennsylvania's Linkbancorp received regulatory approval to sell its New Jersey operations to a credit union; Dream First Bank announced plans to gain branches throughout Oklahoma; and more in this week's banking news roundup.

The midyear fee hike was necessary to reverse a revenue shortfall in the agency's 7(a) program, according to Administrator Kelly Loeffler.

The Connecticut bank disclosed that Nasdaq waived a shareholder approval requirement so it could urgently raise more than $50 million. Patriot also said its finance chief would step down.

The Trump administration's plans for student loans could open the door for banks to grab market share as borrowers seek alternatives.

The North Carolina House of Representatives this week passed a measure that would allow credit unions to expand into geographic areas with few, if any, bank branches. Banks say such a change could open the door for credit unions to expand far beyond their limited missions.

The Mississippi lender said regulators have signed off sooner than expected on its $103.6 million acquisition of First Chatham Bank. The bank's CEO and deal advisers said the speedy approval bodes well for future M&A.

A proposal before Congress would incentivize the creation of new banks by offering capital relief. This would give de novo banks a competitive advantage over incumbent community banks.

San Antonio-based Broadway National Bank hopes marketing campaigns featuring old presidents with new looks will boost brand recognition in Dallas and Houston.

BankFirst Capital Corp. is seeking to bolster its presence in southern Mississippi with a deal to acquire Magnolia State.

The Connecticut bank said its newly minted president, Steven Sugarman, successfully led a private placement and signed a long-term employment agreement that makes him a potential CEO. David Lowery, current chief executive of Patriot, plans to step down in April.

The bipartisan co-chairs of the Community Financial Development Institution caucus sent a letter urging the Trump administration to continue supporting the CDFI Fund after it was slated for cuts in a recent executive order.

The Independent Community Bankers of America wants Congress to eliminate tax exemptions for credit unions with more than $1 billion of assets, scaling back an earlier request that would have targeted the entire credit union sector.

Coastal Financial's decision to report a material weakness won't impact previously disclosed bottom-line results, though it creates bad optics for the Everett-based company.

The suburban Atlanta banks, both of which specialize in lending to Korean-American businesses, plan to merge in a $206 million cash-and-stock deal.

President Donald Trump's executive order severely limiting the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institution Fund has thrown the industry into confusion as financial companies try to quantify the damage.

London-based OakNorth has amassed a sizable U.S. loan portfolio and had been seeking a U.S. charter to simplify its funding model.

An executive order issued late Friday cut the Treasury Department Community Development Financial Institution Fund and other federal programs to their legal minimum.

Finwise Bancorp believes a new plan to hold more of the fintech loans it originates on its balance sheet will boost profits in 2025.

Bankers' surveys of commercial clients have found that corporate decision-makers are less concerned about adverse tariff effects than nervous investors.