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.
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Topics:
Technology,
Economic Recovery,
Consumer Behavior,
Mergers & Acquisitions,
Regulation,
Administration,
Investments
Donald Trump has pledged to lead “the most crypto-friendly administration in U.S. history.” Granted, this is not a difficult hurdle to clear. Nonetheless, the groundswell of vocal and financial support President Trump received since July’s Bitcoin 2024 conference points to substantive policy changes on the horizon.
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Topics:
Cryptocurrency,
Stablecoins,
CFPB,
Regulation,
Crypto Payments,
banking,
SEC
We made the case in a recent blog that banks and credit unions should take a closer look at their consumer lending strategies. With $32 billion of volume in 2023, there has been no shortage of opportunity, spanning existing and prospective customers.
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Topics:
Regulation,
Compliance,
Efficiency,
Credit Union,
Customer Experience,
Outcomes Bank
Bank Director’s Acquire or Be Acquired Conference remains a prime-time event for understanding the ever-evolving dynamics in the banking industry (beyond the prominent M&A theme) and copious amounts of networking. Over the four-day conference, there were more than 2,000 attendees this year – and the SRM contingent did its best to connect with as many industry pros as possible.
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Topics:
Bank Vendor Management,
Credit Union Vendor Management,
Deposits,
Hiring,
Regulation,
liquidity,
Risk Management,
Fintech Contract Negotiation
The CFPB has proposed a rule to limit overdraft charges at larger U.S. banks and credit unions – though financial institutions of all sizes should take note.
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Topics:
Vendor Contract Negotiation,
Bank Vendor Management,
Credit Union Vendor Management,
Fee Income,
CFPB,
Regulation,
Overdraft Fees,
NSF Fees,
Service Charges
Financial institution executives who found 2024’s budget cycle particularly vexing are in good company. The unrelenting pace of technology, regulatory, and economic change makes allocating resources and meeting financial goals especially challenging. Time will tell if this is simply the “new normal,” but most internal processes have yet to adapt to these new demands.
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Topics:
Digital Banking,
Vendor Contract Negotiation,
AI,
Artificial Intelligence,
Bank Vendor Management,
Credit Union Vendor Management,
Interchange,
Regulation,
Debit Cards
SRM's experts spent much of 2023 tracking emerging developments in technology, regulation, and general trends in the financial markets.
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Topics:
Payments,
Vendor management,
AI,
Artificial Intelligence,
Deposits,
Regulation,
liquidity,
Interchange Fees
Financial institutions must be ready for a bevy of new regulations in 2024.
All major federal bank regulators (the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) have sought comments for proposed rules during the second half of this year. They cover many topics, including corporate governance, capital, liquidity, and artificial intelligence.
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Topics:
Vendor management,
AI,
Artificial Intelligence,
Deposits,
Regulation,
liquidity,
Corporate Governance,
Capital
The year ahead will bring a host of unknowns – including legislative and regulatory intervention, the resiliency of credit quality, and an unclear economic trajectory. A murky outlook will make it challenging for banks to determine a strategic course of action without hesitation.
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Topics:
Revenue,
Deposits,
Expense Management,
Regulation,
Client Management,
Credit Quality
I recently attended the Fintech + Insurtech Generations conference in Charlotte, N.C., which brings together visionaries across the broad spectrum of finance and technology.
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Topics:
Payments,
Open Banking,
Digital Assets,
Blockchain,
Regulation
