Retail & Commercial

The latest directive, which takes effect in March, allows only U.S. citizens and nationals to seek government-guaranteed financing. It's drawing criticism from Democrats in Congress, small-business advocates and some lenders.

The Spanish banking giant, which has been trying to grow its U.S. business, plans to acquire the Connecticut-based parent company of Webster Bank.

The crypto and payment fintechs both debuted on the stock market in late January with strong openings, then traded down ahead of a four-day partial government shutdown.

Acquiring the $5.8 billion Northfield Bancorp would give Columbia a presence in both Brooklyn and Staten Island. The deal provides a window into the impact of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's plan to freeze rents on the city's multifamily real estate market.

The digital bank added two new board members and raised $123.9 million as it continues to manage regulatory costs amid its push for profitability.

In keeping with its policy of outsourcing functions outside its core commercial and retail banking competency, Signature Bank near Chicago teamed with a larger trust company to fill a longstanding gap in its product set.

Instead of fighting to keep the banking industry unchanged, perhaps it's time for banks to accept that change is inevitable and focus on adapting to remain competitive.

As tokenization increasingly brings instant settlement to transactions, the liquidity buffer that batch settlement has provided for decades is going to shrink and then disappear. Banks will need to rethink liquidity management.

The Arkansas-based company pivoted to organic growth a few years ago, after making 14 bank acquisitions in less than a decade.

The combination of the banks is the latest in a trend of deals closing on speedier timelines, and signals the industry's hunt for scale.