The purchase of Vinings Bank in Smyrna, Georgia, is the year's first instance of a credit union buying a bank. There were 13 such acquisitions announced last year.

The Northeastern banks had aimed to wrap up their deal by Feb. 21, but the Federal Reserve — the last of the regulatory authorities they need approval from — hasn’t signed off yet.

The Providence, Rhode Island, bank expects to finalize its purchase of 80 HSBC Bank branches on Friday and complete a systems conversion over the weekend. Its pending deal for Investors Bancorp is on track to go through early next quarter, Chief Financial Officer John Woods said.

Chief Financial Officer Emily Portney said Bank of New York Mellon would be interested in buying more custody assets if an opportunity arises and the price is right. In the meantime, it continues to eye deals for small tech companies.

The credit union plans to expand its suite of trust and estate services available to members.

The private-equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners, which agreed to pay $1.8 billion to acquire the money transmitter, is the latest in a long line of potential buyers.

The agreement to acquire Vantage Financial in Minnesota comes less than a year after Peoples Bank purchased North Star Leasing in Vermont.

The joining of Align Credit Union and Alltrust Credit Union is among the first of several deals in the pipeline where both institutions have more than $250 million of assets, as the ongoing pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic prompt more firms to pair up, experts say. Carmen Sylvester, Alltrust's CEO, will lead the combined organization.

The acquisition of Bend Financial will accelerate the Connecticut bank’s efforts to deliver an improved digital experience to HSA customers, executives said.

The money transmitter's $1.8 billion acquisition by Madison Dearborn Partners removes the need to appease investors on a quarterly basis, freeing up the company to invest in a long-term transformation of its technology.