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The Bottom Line

As we enter 2025, there are a multitude of factors indicating that this year will see a resurgence of merger and acquisition (M&A) activity among banks and credit unions. The primary factors for increased consolidation include economic conditions, a change in administration and related regulatory impact, technological investments, a heightened need for scale, and evolving consumer expectations. In the following paragraphs, we highlight many of the factors that SRM is tracking to help our clients prepare for the new dynamics the industry faces this year.

For years, small businesses have gotten very little help from their financial institutions – and no market segment gets a pass on this one. From mega-nationals to community-sized institutions, small businesses have seldom found the assistance they need. Instead, many institutions have either pushed them to retail accounts or offered these small business owners treasury/commercial services.