Payment service provider heidelpay Group has purchased the installment lender Universum Group to bring a new payment capability to the heidelpay Group in the form of an installment lending product called FlexiPay.

The Virginia company cautioned that it expects lending to slow down this year.

The low-cost deposits it gained in its purchase of 52 Wells Fargo branches, combined with higher interest rates, lifted Flagstar's net interest margin.

The company will pay $93 million for Kinderhook Bank, which has a concentration of branches around Albany.

Most bigger banks aren't interested in buying out their smaller counterparts, but these institutions are of interest to credit unions looking to grow.

"I don't and I never would discount the European banks," Citigroup Chief Executive Officer Michael Corbat said in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos. "Don't overestimate the U.S. banks' position, and don't underestimate the European banks' position."

Bank of America Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan predicted another round of consolidation in the U.S. that could lead to the emergence of a new competitor.

The company will top $1 billion in assets after it buys the parent of F&M Bank in Tomah, Wis.

Greenwoods Financial will have $270 million in assets when it buys Fox River Financial.

The Tennessee company is pleased with loan growth. It has also been able to reduce its dependence on brokered deposits as it brings in new customers following its purchase of Capital Bank.

Coast-Tel Federal Credit Union is merging into Bay Federal Credit Union on Feb. 1 with the integration expected to be completed by midyear.

The acquisition of VAR Technology Finance bolsters the bank's efforts to expand into new areas of lending.

Executives at Key pushed back against doubts over a deal for Laurel Road Bank’s digital lending platform so late in the credit cycle, arguing that its customers are prime borrowers with high incomes.

The online platform, created by Laurel Road Bank in 2013, allows users to refinance student loans and originate mortgages.

The parent of Bell Bank said that the pending sale of Discovery Benefits is not a prelude to selling its bank.

A number of healthy credit unions have undertaken “mergers of equals” to bolster long-term prospects. But those institutions are opening themselves up to unique risks and challenges as a result.

The Montana company will more than double its assets in Utah when it buys FNB Bancorp.

The Iowa company will pay $94 million for a bank with five branches and $727 million in loans.

The company recently agreed to be sold to SmartFinancial in Knoxville, Tenn.

The Fiserv-First Data deal, valued at about $22 billion, will combine two of the financial services industry's largest technology and processing companies.