Economy

River Run Bancorp near Boston said it would acquire Rollstone Bank and Trust, adding to a string of industry combinations as M&A activity gathers momentum in the second half of 2024.

In their only vice presidential debate, Democratic nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz talked about how housing should not be considered a "commodity," while Republican Sen. J.D. Vance tied housing shortages to illegal immigration and government regulation.

Federal regulators have rewritten the rules for bank mergers in a way that will discourage the kinds of deals necessary to preserve healthy regional banks.

Some of the country's largest banks, including Bank of America, Citi and Morgan Stanley, said they support efforts to increase capacity, highlighting nuclear's role in the clean energy transition.

The Federal Home Loans Bank System is under pressure to fund more affordable housing and has several proposals that may work in tandem with Vice President Kamala Harris' goal of building three million new units in her first term.

While the Freddie Mac survey found the 30-year fixed fell 11 basis points, other indicators, including the 10-year Treasury yield, have all increased.

Only two de novo banks have opened in 2024, while more than 100 launched annually prior to the 2008 financial crisis. Experts don't agree on how to solve the problem.

The South Carolina-based bank considers itself a buyer, but has put the 17 months since announcing its last acquisition to good use, reassessing multiple business lines and upgrading technology.

The 30-year fixed rate mortgage fell week-to-week by the largest amount since the start of August and are now almost a percentage point lower than a year ago, according to Freddie Mac.

The latest inflation news is almost sure to result in a 25 basis point cut next week, but some are still hoping for 50 basis points, as well as reductions totaling almost 200 basis points through the end of 2025, Wolters Kluwer found.