Five trends that shaped the credit union industry in 2025
Credit unions hit new highs in membership, deposits and loans in 2025. But it was also a chaotic year for the industry’s governing body, and the sector faced renewed attacks by banks.
Judge blocks effort to allow CFPB funding to run out
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said the administration must request funds from the Federal Reserve, rejecting a Trump DOJ legal theory.
2025 was a big year for earned wage access
The year was marked with six state regulations, new entrants, product and market expansion from existing EWA providers and buy-in from investors.
Press Release: Agencies Release Annual Asset-Size Thresholds Under Community Reinvestment Act Regulations
PRESS RELEASE | DECEMBER 30, 2025 Agencies Release Annual Asset-Size Thresholds Under Community Reinvestment Act Regulations WASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation today announced the 2026 updated Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) “small bank” and “intermediate small bank” asset-size thresholds. The CRA regulations establish the framework and criteria by which […]
Top 5 fintech IPOs of 2025
The fintech IPO drought ended this year with several large public exits by firms such as Chime, Klarna and Circle.
Stablecoins will be a key element of banking infrastructure in 2026
As stablecoins become an increasingly prominent feature of the financial landscape, Noelle Acheson gives us her top five trends to watch out for.
Banks can fight back against stablecoins encroaching on payments
There is a narrow window of opportunity for banks to position tokenized deposits as an alternative to stablecoins for customers seeking the convenience of cheap, blockchain-enabled payments.
From cafés to Pokémon Go, banks rethink physical spaces
It’s not just Capital One Cafés; banks all over the country are repurposing branches and offices. Marketing experts call it innovative, but critics say some lenders are crossing a legal boundary between banking and commerce.
OceanFirst to buy Flushing, raise $225M from Warburg Pincus
New Jersey-based OceanFirst Financial slid in its planned $579 million acquisition of Flushing Financial just before the end of the year. The private equity firm Warburg Pincus is also participating in the transaction.
OCC moves to limit toughest standards to megabanks
Under a proposed rule, the agency would let most nationally chartered firms off the hook for heightened regulatory standards. The rule would raise the bar from $50 billion to $700 billion of assets and leave only eight firms subject to heightened regulation.