Florida

The Florida bank plans to buy Villages Bancorp for $710.8 million, marking its second in-state acquisition of 2025.

The Ohio-based bank is launching services for middle-market companies across the new footprint, after making similar plays in the Carolinas and Texas.

With South Florida's economy expected to continue outperforming the rest of the nation, Banesco USA is laying plans to extend its reach into Broward, the wealthy and populous county just north of its Coral Gables home base.

A law that took effect this week allows Florida consumers to ask state regulators to investigate why a financial institution canceled an account or rejected a loan application. The law, which applies to federally chartered banks, could lead to a legal battle over the limits of state powers.

The 3-year-old Climate First in St. Petersburg appears primed to take its renewable energy lending nationwide now that it's exiting the de novo phase.

Six financial institutions may be placed on West Virginia's restricted list if they are found "boycott" the fossil fuel industry, Riley Moore said.

Dan Sheehan, former CEO at Professional Bank in Coral Gables, said he's "putting the band back together" to spearhead his new, Texas-based employer's expansion plans in the Sunshine State.

"Florida will not side with economic central planners; we will not adopt policies that threaten personal economic freedom and security," said Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The company has long focused on customers with ties to the two states. But as it emerges from the pandemic seeking new lending opportunities, CEO Rajinder Singh says, “We are looking at markets from Boston all the way down to Atlanta.”

Amerant Bank has invested $2.5 million in Marstone to provide a digital alternative to personal wealth advisors for new and existing clients. The technology "gets planning capabilities into the hands of any customer that wants them," says Jerry Plush, the Florida bank's new CEO.