M&A

In the current economic environment, it could be advantageous for you or your clients to consider a strategic acquisition.

Executives from U.S. banks continue to play down near-term expectations, but they say customers are growing more confident ahead of the rollout of coronavirus vaccines, and that key commercial lending segments could drive an economic rebound.

Between the pandemic, aging CPA firm owners and staffing tensions, many in the accounting profession anticipate a huge uptick in firm mergers and acquisitions over the next 24 months.

If the mega payments deals of 2019 left the acquiring landscape somewhat scorched, the COVID-19 pandemic planted new seeds to allow ISOs to grow by quickly converting merchants to electronic payments.

The Federal Reserve could ease capital rules, foster the creation of special-purpose banks and take other steps to strengthen minority communities and businesses without legislation being sought in Congress — if it has the will to do so, experts say.

Just eight loans had been made as of late July, six of them through a single community bank in Florida, according to new data on the federal rescue program for small and midsize companies hurt by the pandemic.

Payment processor Elavon purchased Sage Pay four months ago, completing the acquisition on March 11. Two days later, Elavon's entire workforce was operating remotely as the coronavirus forced it into lockdown.

The major card networks have heavily invested in broader services as transaction processing loses its luster, a strategy that’s provided a ray of hope as retail and travel industries remain sidelined.

Now that its deal with Texas Capital has been called off, Independent Bank in McKinney plans to scale back or exit some commercial lines and will seek to duplicate its retail banking successes in Colorado.

Now perhaps more than ever, banks and their proxies need to show tact when communicating with past-due borrowers.