Harmening, set to take the helm of Associated Banc-Corp next month, is being asked to replicate the digital transformation he led at Huntington Bancshares. His career path is a signal to the industry’s rising stars that the road to the corner office includes hands-on technology work.

The $21 million deal would combine Feather River Bancorp, a small bank with deep local roots, and Plumas Bancorp, which has deeper pockets and a broader array of products and services.

The company is anticipating at least $175 million in losses in 2021, but its recent acquisition of Radius Bancorp will reduce funding costs and allow it to develop a full gamut of banking products that its CEO says will eventually yield big profits.

The Delaware company would remove a rival, gain scale in affluent Philadelphia suburbs and accelerate its transformation from a branch-heavy lender to a digital-first bank with the $976 million acquisition.

Square, LendingClub and SoFi are among the upstarts that once positioned themselves as outsiders but now seek to challenge banks more directly. Here's how they're doing it.

Andrew Harmening, who oversaw Huntington's digital strategy, will succeed the retiring Philip Flynn as president and CEO of the Wisconsin regional bank in April.

Community banks with meager tech budgets need help identifying the right systems for institutions their size and finding good partners, says Sultan Meghji, who recently joined the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. in this newly created role.

The company has formed a special committee to find a successor for James Ford, who will retire as president and CEO next year.

The acquisition of Golden Pacific Bank will accelerate the online lender’s effort to become a full-service bank.

New measures in California and Virginia give consumers more control over their information and may prevent banks from using geolocation services or analyzing personal data without obtaining consent first — except when preempted by federal law.

The unnamed investors will pay about $50 million for Northern California National Bank through a tender offer.

“We were already shifting to recruiting more problem solvers than people handling transactions,” said Robert Fisher, CEO of Tioga State Bank in New York and incoming chairman of the Independent Community Bankers of America. “That pace of change has accelerated.”

In "Democracy Declined," Duke public policy professor Mallory SoRelle argues that policymakers should be more aggressive in combating unfair lending practices.

On Dec. 31, 2020. Dollars in thousands.

On Dec. 31, 2020. Dollars in thousands.

Better Financial offers customers up to $5,000 per year in accident coverage, prescription drug discounts and medical debt negotiation to certain account holders.

The company would gain its first branches around Annapolis after it buys Severn Bancorp in a deal valued at $146 million.

Aspiration makes donations to a tree-planting charity based on debit card spending, buys carbon offsets for gas purchases and rates retailers' environmental records.

Brian Milton, who ran MUFG Union's digital bank, was named head of banking and would become CEO of Thrivent Bank, which plans to have a digitally focused platform and operate as an industrial loan company.

Challenger banks and fintechs can't be considered rivals, says Episode Six's John Mitchell.