Fed eyes bank mergers: Routine checks for safety and fairness
Published Date: 12/22/2025
Notice
Summary
Bank companies want to merge, buy, or become bank holding companies, and the Federal Reserve is reviewing their applications. If you’re involved with these banks or just curious, you can share your thoughts by January 21, 2026. These moves could change who controls certain banks and might affect local banking options.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Local bank control may change
Fulton Financial Corporation of Lancaster, Pennsylvania has applied to merge with Blue Foundry Bancorp and thereby acquire Blue Foundry Bank of Rutherford, New Jersey. The Federal Reserve is reviewing this application under the Bank Holding Company Act, and these moves could change who controls those banks and might affect local banking options. Comments on the application must be received by January 21, 2026.
Comments will be publicly disclosed
If you send written comments about these bank holding company applications, the Federal Reserve generally will make your comment publicly available without changes, including contact or business information. The notice warns you not to include confidential or identifying information in comments; comments must be received by January 21, 2026.
Public access to application files
You can inspect the public portions of the applications at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and at the Board of Governors' offices, and you can request them via the Board's FOIA process at https://www.federalreserve.gov/foia/request.htm. The notice gives the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia contact and an email for requests; this lets interested community members review application details before January 21, 2026.
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Key Dates
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