Community Banking

Credit unions are continuing to buy community banks, although at a slower pace than in 2024.

BCB Bancorp in Bayonne, New Jersey, swung to an $8.3 million loss in the first quarter due to a troubled cannabis loan. The crowded weed marketplace in the New York area is leading to tighter margins.

The Evansville, Indianapolis-based company now expects to complete its $1.4 billion acquisition of Bremer Financial in Minnesota on May 1, instead of mid-year.

The Sunshine State deal comes following a banner year for credit union-bank combinations, despite pushback from community banking advocates.

MainStreet Bancshares in Fairfax has closed its banking-as-a-service subsidiary after the unit fell far short of meeting its revenue and deposit targets.

Nashville-based FB Financial announced the opening of a new office in Asheville, North Carolina, a week after striking a $381 million deal for an Alabama-based community bank.

The Seattle-based company, which had made home loans for more than a century, announced it was quitting the mortgage business in January. It booked nearly 400 small business loans in the first quarter and expects that total to grow as its team gains traction.

The U.K. challenger bank's Engine tech unit has registered in Delaware and will soon begin hiring a small staff on the East Coast. It faces the stiff challenges all new core banking software providers face in this country.

Federal Reserve Gov. Michelle Bowman has been a crucial ally for community banks. With her impending rise to regulatory vice chair, small banks worry about losing their direct access to the Fed's board of governors.