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Bank Director’s RankingBanking Study Ranks Top-Performing U.S. Banks

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Annual study ranks the 300 largest public banks.

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bank Director, the leading information resource for directors and officers of financial institutions nationwide, released its 2026 RankingBanking study, sponsored by Crowe. The annual study ranks the 300 largest publicly traded banks using year-end 2025 data compiled by Piper Sandler & Co. from S&P Global Market Intelligence. Banks are scored on return on average total assets, return on average tangible common equity, tangible common equity to tangible assets and nonperforming assets to loans and other real estate owned. The scores are added together for a final rank, with lower scores indicating a better performance.

Despite years of upheaval – from post-crisis rules and consolidation to inflation and AI – Bank Director Executive Editor Jackie Stewart found that fundamentals still win. The top 25 posted a median net interest margin of 4.11%, versus 3.57% for the rest of the list, proving that core lending and deposit discipline drive success.

“I think the banks that connect the loan and deposit relationship together” are the ones that are most successful, Kara Baldwin, partner and financial services audit lead at Crowe LLP, says of top performers. “‘We’ll give you this great loan… but you need to bring the deposit relationship.'”

Patrick Vernon, an advisory partner at Crowe Advisory LLC, agrees deposit strength is key: “If you have strong, stable deposits, you’ll have an easier time expanding your margin and profitability.”

Below are the 25 Top-Ranked Banks Overall:

1. Commerce Bancshares (CBSH), Kansas City, MO
2. Bank7 Corp. (BSVN), Oklahoma City, OK
3. Esquire Financial Holdings (ESQ), Jericho, NY
4. Commercial Bancgroup (CBK), Harrogate, TN
5. Northeast Community Bancorp (NECB), White Plains, NY
6. Bank First Corp. (BFC), Manitowoc, WI
7. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (FMCB), Lodi, CA – TIED
7. Thomasville Bancshares (THVB), Thomasville, GA – TIED
9. City Holding Co. (CHCO), Charleston, WV
10. Nicolet Bankshares (NIC), Green Bay, WI
11. HBT Financial (HBT), Bloomington, IL
12. West Coast Community Bancorp (WCCB), Santa Cruz, CA
13. Westamerica Bancorp. (WABC), San Rafael, CA
14. ACNB Corp. (ACNB), Gettysburg, PA
15. East West Bancorp (EWBC), Pasadena, CA
16. Ameris Bancorp (ABCB), Atlanta, GA
17. Stock Yards Bancorp (SYBT), Louisville, KY
18. Home BancShares (HOMB), Conway, AR
19. Central Bancompany (CBC), Jefferson City, MO
20. California BanCorp (BCAL), San Diego, CA
21. CVB Financial Corp. (CVBF), Ontario, CA
22. Community Trust Bancorp (CTBI), Pikeville, KY
23. Mission Bancorp (MSBC), Bakersfield, CA
24. Republic Bancorp (RBCA.A), Louisville, KY
25. Columbia Banking System (COLB), Tacoma, WA

To access the full ranking, along with the top-performing banks broken out by asset size and state, click here.

Takeaways from RankingBanking:

The top 25 banks posted a median net interest margin of 4.11% for year-end 2025, compared with 3.57% for the remaining institutions on the list, highlighting the importance of core spread income.Banks in the South dominated, accounting for nine of the top 25 spots, while California institutions made up seven.California banks continued to lead the West, with seven of the region’s eight top-25 representatives based in the Golden State; Columbia Banking System was the only Western bank outside California to be a top performer.New this year, Bank Director broke out all 300 institutions by state, available exclusively on BankDirector.com.Active acquirers featured prominently, including SouthState Bank Corp., which recently gained markets in Texas and Colorado through a deal.

To review the full results of Bank Director’s RankingBanking study, along with previous RankingBanking reports, please visit BankDirector.com.

About Bank Director
Bank Director reaches the leaders of the institutions that comprise America’s banking industry. Since 1991, Bank Director has provided board-level research, peer insights and in-depth executive and board services. Built for banks, Bank Director extends into and beyond the boardroom by providing timely and relevant information through Bank Director magazine, board training services and the financial industry’s premier event, Acquire or Be Acquired. For more information, please visit www.BankDirector.com.

About Crowe LLP
Crowe has more than 50 years’ experience serving financial services companies. Their industry-focused team of more than 2,300 banking specialists works with more than 2,900 financial services companies of all sizes.

Crowe operates in an alternative practice structure and provides professional services through two separate entities: Crowe LLP delivers audit and attest services, and Crowe Advisory LLC provides tax, advisory, consulting, and other nonattest services.

The Crowe Global network consists of more than 300 independent accounting and advisory services firms in more than 150 countries around the globe, making it one of the largest accounting networks in the world (as of July 2026). As independent members of Crowe Global, Crowe LLP and Crowe Advisory LLC serve clients worldwide. www.crowe.com/fs 

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For more information, please contact Bank Director’s Marketing Associate, Emma McMillan-Zapf at emcmillan@bankdirector.com.

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Rocket Money’s Rowan Rewrites What AI Can Do in Personal Finance

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Rocket Money’s new AI financial assistant, developed with Anthropic, takes money management out of apps and dashboards and puts it into conversational texts

DETROIT, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Rocket Money, part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), today launched Rowan, an AI agent that goes beyond analysis, monitoring consumer’s finances and even acting on their behalf, all through simple text messaging.

Rocket Money’s AI financial assistant puts management into conversational texts.

Powered by Anthropic, Rowan watches spending around the clock. When it spots a way to save, it sends a text. The consumer replies in plain language and Rowan handles the rest. It can renegotiate recurring bills, cancel subscriptions and even create automated savings transfers.  

Most personal finance apps are passive, showing a dashboard that leaves the real work up to the consumer. Rowan does the work for them.

“What we’ve built with Rowan wasn’t possible even 12 months ago,” said Aaron Dignan, VP of Agentic Products at Rocket Money. “It finds the money slipping through the cracks, the forgotten subscriptions, the bills that creep up, and it actually does something about them. That’s the difference between knowing and acting.”

Rowan is built on a sophisticated stack of AI agents trained with Rocket Money data. The result is something unprecedented: a system that monitors your finances, applies advanced reasoning, and proactively engages to give you knowledge and control over your personal finances. Rowan identifies opportunities and executes complex tasks in the real world based on your instructions.

Consider a client that signs up for a free month of streaming that then goes unused.  Rowan doesn’t forget, three weeks later it will send a text asking the consumer if they are enjoying the service or if they would like to cancel before incurring a charge.  If the member replies “cancel” Rowan contacts the service, cancels the trial and confirms when it is done. One word, no logging in, no lengthy conversations and no hold music.

Maybe someone wants to save money while still enjoying their morning coffee. They simply text Rowan: “Every time I buy a coffee, round up to the nearest dollar and put the extra change in my high-yield savings account.” Rowan sets up the process. From that moment forward, every coffee purchase triggers an automatic rounding and transfer.

That is a monumental leap from passive to proactive financial management, going from “here’s what you spent” to “here’s how I can help.”

The system is also constantly improving. When Rowan encounters something unexpected, such as a subscription service with an unusual cancellation flow, it learns. It diagnoses the issue, finds a solution and deploys it across the entire system. Each edge case solved becomes a permanent improvement for every consumer.

“This architecture moves us from ‘this is cool’ to ‘this is incredibly powerful and can help me maximize my money,” said Chase Adams, VP of AI Engineering at Rocket Money. “We built it with adaptable agents where you need flexibility and strict code where you need certainty, and our team is engaged throughout to provide human verification.”

Rowan is available to select Rocket Money subscribers now as part of a new Premium Plus tier, with broader availability coming later this year.

ABOUT ROCKET MONEY

Rocket Money is a personal finance app designed to help people manage their money, track spending, monitor subscriptions, build savings, and improve their overall financial health. Originally founded as Truebill and acquired by Rocket Companies in 2021, Rocket Money helps users understand where their money is going, identify opportunities to save, manage recurring expenses, track net worth and credit, and take action through features such as subscription management, budgeting, bill negotiation, automated savings, and Rowan, its AI-powered financial agent. Rocket Money is part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), a Detroit-based fintech platform company.

For more information, please visit www.rocketmoney.com.

ABOUT ROCKET COMPANIES

Founded in 1985, Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT) is a Detroit-based fintech platform including mortgage, real estate and personal finance businesses: Rocket Mortgage, Redfin, Rocket Close, Rocket Money and Rocket Loans. With insights from more than 160 million calls with clients each year, 30 petabytes of data and a mission to Help Everyone Home, Rocket Companies is well positioned to be the destination for AI-fueled homeownership. Known for providing exceptional client experiences, J.D. Power has ranked Rocket Mortgage #1 in client satisfaction for primary mortgage origination and mortgage servicing a total of 23 times, the most of any mortgage lender.

For more information, please visit www.rocket.com.

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Veridian Credit Union launches Money Moves to help members build financial confidence, achieve goals

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WATERLOO, Iowa, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Veridian Credit Union has launched Money Moves, a new financial empowerment program designed to help members build confidence, strengthen financial habits and take meaningful steps toward their financial goals.

The program combines financial education, personalized coaching and financial incentives to help participants increase savings, improve credit and reduce debt. Through one-on-one guidance and practical tools, Monday Moves helps participants create a personalized plan that works for their unique circumstances and long-term goals.

“Financial success should be within reach for everyone,” said Ana Hernandez Eveland, Veridian’s Financial Empowerment Strategist. “Money Moves is about meeting people where they are and giving them the guidance, resources and encouragement they need to move forward with confidence. Whether someone is focused on building savings, improving credit or paying down debt, we’re here to help them take the next step.”

Participants who successfully complete the program may qualify for a $250 matching incentive that can be used toward a secured credit card, starter certificate of deposit or debt repayment, helping reinforce the financial progress they make during the program.

Money Moves is free to attend, though advance registration is required. Individual sessions begin mid-September in Cedar Rapids, Waterloo and Omaha, and Oct. 1 in Des Moines. Details are available at veridiancu.org/moneymoves.

Founded in 1934, Veridian Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative dedicated to improving the financial well-being of its members. With 32 branches across Iowa, eastern Nebraska and the Twin Cities metro area, Veridian provides a full range of personal and business financial services desigened to help members build confidence and reach their goals. As a not-for-profit credit union, Veridian returns value to its members through competitive products, trusted guidance and a commitment to helping people ahcieve lasting financial success.

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Cresset Expands to Boca Raton, Welcomes $4 Billion Advisory Team

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Led by Michael Bober and Ed Ventrice, the team previously managed approximately $4 billion in client assets at UBS and has deep connections to the Boca Raton community

BOCA RATON, Fla., Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cresset announced today that it is expanding to Boca Raton, Fla., with the addition of a 16-person advisory team led Michael Bober, and Ed Ventrice. The team previously managed approximately $4 billion in client assets for UBS. The team also includes Michael MacDonald, William “Billy” Marino, Sarah Ponczek, and Alex Santos.

Bober and Ventrice each bring more than three decades of experience advising corporate executives, business owners, high-net-worth individuals, multigenerational families, foundations and endowments, and professional athletes. Together with their team, they specialize in comprehensive wealth management, institutional consulting, business succession planning, and addressing the complex needs of families with significant wealth.

Prior to joining Cresset, Bober and Ventrice both served as Managing Directors with UBS Financial Services. Before transitioning to wealth management, each worked as a Certified Public Accountant with a national accounting firm. Their accounting backgrounds have helped shape the team’s integrated approach to wealth management and its focus on delivering coordinated advice across every aspect of a client’s financial life.

“We are excited to join Cresset and gain access to the breadth of resources and capabilities available through its independent, client- and employee-owned model. Cresset’s family office approach closely aligns with how we have always believed wealth should be managed—with a comprehensive, long-term perspective that extends well beyond investment management,” Ventrice said.

Cresset offers a comprehensive suite of family office services designed to address the interconnected needs of individuals and families with significant wealth. Its capabilities span investment management, private markets, tax preparation and planning, estate and trust services, business succession planning, property and casualty insurance advisory, and philanthropic planning for families, foundations, and endowments. Cresset also provides access to medical and travel concierge services through its expansive network, helping clients coordinate support across their financial and personal lives.

“Joining Cresset represents an exciting next chapter for our team and our clients. Cresset has built an exceptional platform around an integrated approach to wealth management, and we look forward to offering our clients those capabilities while continuing to provide the highly personal advice and service they expect,” Bober said.

“We are also proud to continue serving the Boca Raton community we know so well and to build upon the relationships we have developed here over many years,” Ventrice added.

Cresset’s open-architecture, multi-custodial model provides clients with access to leading custodians. This flexibility, combined with Cresset’s extensive wealth management and family office capabilities, allows advisory teams to deliver highly customized solutions based on each client’s specific needs.

“We are thrilled to expand our presence in South Florida to Boca Raton. Michael, Ed, and team have deep and longstanding relationships throughout the Boca Raton community, and we are honored to welcome them to Cresset and look forward to introducing more successful families to Cresset’s comprehensive family office offerings,” said Cresset CEO Susie Cranston

About Cresset
Cresset is a firm built by clients, for clients. As an independent, award-winning* multi-family office and private investment firm, we are reimagining the way wealth is experienced. Our purpose is to help ensure that both wealth and life are fully optimized**—integrated, intentional, and aligned with each client’s vision of success.

We provide access to the caliber of talent, ideas, and investment opportunities typically available to the largest single-family offices and institutions. Our approach is personalized, entrepreneurial, and client-first.

Proudly owned by our clients and employees, Cresset was built to endure. We are creating a 100+ year firm—one focused on delivering an exceptional experience, not only for the families we serve but for the team that serves them. Recognized by Barron’s and Forbes among the nation’s top multi-family offices,* Cresset is guided by long-term relationships, shared success, and a belief that wealth should serve a life well lived.

*Disclosures related to awards, recognitions, and rankings available here. Forbes Top RIA Firms (issued 10.2025). Based on data from April of the prior year through March of the award year. Rankings are determined by SHOOK Research using a proprietary methodology that considers qualitative and quantitative factors. Barron’s Top 100 RIA Firms (issued 09.2025). Based on data from July of the prior year through June of the award year. Rankings are determined using a proprietary methodology that considers qualitative and quantitative factors. Cresset paid a licensing fee to use the Forbes and Barron’s award logos.

**Wealth Optimized, Life Elevated refers to the firm’s philosophy and process in providing advisory and planning services and is not intended to convey a guarantee of results. 

Cresset refers to Cresset Capital Management, LLC and its respective direct and indirect subsidiaries and controlled affiliates. For a full list of Cresset subsidiaries and controlled affiliates, please see cressetcapital.com/disclosures/

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