Ross Macdonald

Yuma, Arizona-based Avenir Financial Federal Credit Union ($390 million in assets) to acquire in-state peer Mission Bank (Kingman, AZ - $195 million), creating a combined entity of over $500 million. The number of community banks based in Arizona - after the transaction closes - will be 11... yes, you read that right. No press release yet, will attach when I find it.

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𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵: 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 The latest nonfarm payroll (NFP) report added just 22,000 jobs in August, which is well below the expected 75,000. This marks another data point signaling potential weakness in the economy. Here's why this matters: 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases the NFP report. Recent leadership changes and large prior revisions have drawn added scrutiny to these numbers. 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: With clear signs of labor market softening, a September rate cut now looks increasingly likely. 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀: Despite the inflation conversation, bond markets are telling a different story. Yields have dropped sharply, with the 5 and 10-year Treasuries each falling nearly 20 bps over the past week. Markets appear more concerned about slowing growth than inflation risk. For real estate investors and borrowers, the takeaway is clear: the window for favorable debt conditions may be opening further, even as the broader economy shows signs of cooling. To learn more about the market and its impact on financial futures, visit our website:

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𝐖𝐚𝐅𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐡𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐎𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 WaFd Bank has appointed Colin Murphy as Regional President for Northern Oregon, strengthening leadership as the bank continues to expand across the Pacific Northwest. 📊 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: 🏦 20+ years of banking experience, including 15 years in commercial banking 📍 Oversight of both commercial & retail banking across Northern Oregon 🤝 Focus on relationship-driven growth and team development 🌲 Strong commitment to community-focused banking Murphy most recently led commercial banking teams at Bank of the West/BMO, managing key markets across Portland, Seattle, and Boise. His appointment reinforces WaFd Bank’s locally focused, relationship-based approach while delivering full-service financial solutions. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆  :  https://lnkd.in/dB3sQY6A #BankingLeadership #CommercialBanking #FinancialServices #CommunityBanking #PacificNorthwest #FinTech

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Publically listed Bank First Corporation, the holding company for BankFirst, N.A., announced in a press release on January 2nd, the acquisition of Centre 1 Bancorp, parent company of The First National Bank and Trust. The combined entity holds almost $6 billion in assets, operating 38 branches across Wisconsin and border areas of Illinois. Bank First is also going to start offering wealth management services immediately, bringing in a skilled team of professionals from First National Bank and Trust. However, First National Bank and Trust will continue to operate with its own identity until May 2026, when planned system conversions will integrate the entities, with all branches combined under the Bank First brand. The press release stated, "Customers now have access to a comprehensive suite of wealth planning, trust administration, and investment management services, provided by a team of professionals with deep expertise and strong commitment to delivering personalized solutions." CEO of Bank First, Mike Molepske, remarked, "This partnership brings together two long-standing, community-focused institutions committed to responsive, relationship-based banking." Piper Sandler & Co. and Hovde Group, LLC served as financial advisors to Bank First and Centre, respectively. Source: Bank First Corporation #Bank #Banking #Wisconsin #Banks #Business #Finance #Economy #BankFirst #CommunityBanking #RegionalBanks #Finance

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Exciting News: Industrial Credit Union (‘Industrial’) has launched the Mahalo digital banking platform to serve its more than 30,000 members across Washington state. The implementation allows the credit union to enhance feature extensibility and deliver a next-generation digital experience to its growing member base. #mahalobanking #creditunions #digitalbanking Read More: https://lnkd.in/gmgPqbZx

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Eltropy Launches Unified, Self-Serve Payment System for Credit Unions and Community Banks “Community financial institutions are drowning in vendor relationships and transaction fees,” said Ashish Garg, Co-Founder and CEO of Eltropy. “Our customers were asking for a solution that could handle payments across collections, lending, and account servicing without adding another vendor to their existing stack. As part of the Unified Conversations Platform, Eltropy Payments delivers a fully integrated approach that reduces costs and improves the digital payment experience for consumers.” https://lnkd.in/eBicMw5x Steve Jensen Michael Pupil Laura Chambers Arun Rao Nandita Verma Abhishek Tiwari #fintech #finance #banking #paytech #payments #fintechnews #paymentsnews

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Through the Small Business Resiliency Loan (SBRL), funded by the Washington State Department of Commerce and managed by the GoWest Credit Union Association Foundation and local credit unions, underserved small businesses across Washington could access $500–$25,000 in small business loans to grow and build credit. When the loans were repaid, the businesses received a matching grant, allowing funds to be reinvested right back into the community, a unique part of the program. This was a one-time pilot program that ran in 2024. This program was part of the larger Small Business Resiliency Network (SBRN), which also offers business support through local partners like SIMBA. In 2025 alone, $108,000 in loans have been repaid, and $108,000 in grants were issued, supporting businesses that worked directly with SIMBA, including BeYoutiful Bath Bombs, The Glow Co, Dom & Bomb (Kim B. & delena (dom)), Gusto Vans, and Autism Mom Cleaning. SIMBA is honored to have been part of this unique program, helping create real, lasting impact for small businesses in our community. #simbaspokane #spokaneindependent #livelocalinw

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