OCC’s Curry Talks Tech At Harvard
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency could potentially charter financial technology (or fintech) companies as limited purpose trust companies, Comptroller of the Currency Thomas J. Curry said yesterday during a talk at Harvard University’s Kennedy School....
It’s Easy Going Green
If you’ve been noticing more solar panels across the state of Connecticut, it’s not just your imagination. Once upon a time, solar panels might have been something you only saw on your eco-warrior neighbor’s roof, but the state’s public-private partnership has worked...
Sageworks: Bankers Expect Uptick In Commercial Lending For ’16
In spite of persistently low rates and a competitive lending landscape, bankers are feeling optimistic about their prospects for commercial lending in 2016, according to a recent survey from Sageworks. Of the bankers the firm surveyed, 59 percent said they planned to...Farmington Bank Opens Up Shop In New Fairfield Lending Center
Farmington Bank announced this week that it opened its second new lending center in three months, this one in Fairfield. The new location at 1809 Black Rock Turnpike is staffed by three mortgage bankers: Gene Fabbri, assistant vice president and residential sales...
Banking On Connecticut
Michael LaBella got his foot in the financial services door when he got into GE Credit’s management development program out of college before working for Citibank for 16 years. At TD Bank, he oversees retail and commercial operations in the bank’s Connecticut market.
In Line With Consumer Preferences, Bankers Rethink The Branch
Anyone still declaring the death of the bank branch must not be paying much attention to Webster Bank. When Citibank announced its withdrawal from the Greater Boston market, the Waterbury-based Webster pounced, snapping up the 17 empty branches Citi left in its wake....
A Helping Hand For Would-Be Homeowners
Connecticut-born and bred Mike Sheahan got his start in financial services working as an auditor for Ernst & Young out of college. It was there that he became acquainted with the banking world
United’s Q4 Net Dips As Company Buys Up Marine, Consumer Portfolios
United Financial Bancorp’s net income dipped in the fourth quarter, as the company completed its acquisition of a specialty marine financing portfolio and two additional consumer portfolios. The Glastonbury-based holding company for United Bank posted net income of...Webster Posts Gains In Q4, Looks To Boston With Anticipation
Webster Financial Corp. wound down 2015 with double-digit increases in loan growth and a bump in earnings, and company leadership looked toward the year ahead – and the Boston expansion in particular – with optimism. For the fourth quarter, Webster’s net income...
Fannie And Freddie Here To Stay
Greater clarity around repurchases and a new set of affordable lending products went a long way toward improving bankers’ relationship with the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) this year, though memories of crisis-era buybacks linger like a bad champagne...
Citizens Survey: Mid-Market Companies Hungry For M&As In ’16
Middle-market companies are on the lookout for “transformative deals” this year, and that means their bankers have an opportunity to open up a dialogue with their mid-market clients, according to a recent survey by Citizens Commercial Banking. “I think it falls in...
A Matter Of Trust
AnnaMarie Boccuzzi got her feet wet in the financial services world as a financial analyst at Citicorp. While she had a knack for the numbers, she found herself wanting a little bit more of a human touch. It wasn’t long before she wound up working in trust administration and estate planning, and it was only natural that she eventually made the switch from large, regional banks to smaller community banks. When she’s not working with clients in First County Bank’s ever-expanding wealth management division, First County Advisors, she’s a weekend warrior who loves to garden and tackle home renovation projects.
ABA: Consumer Delinquencies Tick Up In Q3 But Remain Near Historic Lows
Slow economic growth in the third quarter last year pushed up consumer delinquencies just slightly, although they remained near historic lows, the American Bankers Association (ABA) said today. “The third quarter of last year was a slow quarter. GDP was low, job...
Webster Snags Three More Former Citi Branches
Webster Financial Corp. will take over three more former Citi branches this month, bumping up its total branch network in the Greater Boston area to 18, the company said this week. The latest additions to its network are located in Chinatown, Harvard Square and...
ESB Bancorp Builds Its Brand In Central Mass., Connecticut
ESB Bancorp is rounding the corner on its merger with Oxford-based Hometown Community Bancorp, the latest step in its plan to become a community banking powerhouse through Central Massachusetts and into Connecticut’s Quiet Corner. The deal, which is expected to close...
A Focus On Assets
John Traynor Title: Senior Vice President, Chief Investment Officer, People’s United Bank Age: 55 Experience: 31 years As an undergrad at Villanova, John Traynor didn’t anticipate he would one day be in the investment management business, but once he got into...
The Best (And Worst) Of Cybersecurity
From data breaches at big-box retailers to DDoS for bitcoin ransom scams, it seems like bankers are playing whac-a-mole just trying to keep up with all the cyber threats to today’s financial system.
Webster Bank To Take Over Citi Branches In Early ’16
Webster Financial Corp. will beef up its Boston presence early next year when it takes over 14 branches that Citibank is vacating. The $24 billion Waterbury-based holding company for Webster Bank will not acquire any loans or deposits from Citi in the transaction, but...
Holidays Are Hectic For Everyone – Including Criminals
As shoppers gear up for the holiday spending season, banker are in turn gearing up with products, financial planning services and anti-fraud precautions. According to the American Bankers Association (ABA), which tracks consumer delinquencies on a quarterly basis, delinquencies in seven of 11
