BMO Financial Corp has announced that it has received an outstanding rating in the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Performance Evaluation, as assessed by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The OCC's evaluation is based on a bank's adherence to federal law requirements, which set a standard for commitment to community reinvestment.

BMO has announced the expansion of its BMORE initiative, a program designed to eradicate employment barriers and bolster opportunities in banking and finance for historically marginalized communities. The initiative was launched three years ago in partnership with Cara Collective.

Bank of America has launched CashPro Insights, a new addition to the CashPro Data Intelligence product suite. This digital tool is designed to analyze data within the CashPro platform, enhancing the capabilities of both CashPro Forecasting and CashPro Search. It provides users with advanced insights into the information processed through the platform.

The Mesa Government Affairs Committee was created to focus on legislative practices and decisions affecting all professional establishments.

Californians who have their auto insurance with Allstate and State Farm will face substantial increases in their rates beginning in February. Allstate's rates are set to rise by 30%, while those of State Farm will go up by 21%.

President Biden has renominated acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, despite disapproval from Democrats over Su's progressive background in California. The White House released the list of Biden's nominations to be sent to the Senate for approval or rejection on January 8, 2024.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has disclosed a 7.5% increase in nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in the private industry for 2021-2022, amounting to 2.8 million cases. Illnesses surged by 26.1 percent, while injuries rose by 4.5 percent.

Mission for Area People (MAP), a Michigan-based non-profit faith agency, has expressed gratitude towards Forge Industrial Staffing company for its consistent support. MAP, which aids the poor, low-income and homeless in Muskegon and Holland, acknowledged Forge's specific contributions to its Teen Town Christmas event. This appreciation was publicly shared on Dec. 14 via a Facebook post.

In a philanthropic gesture this holiday season, the airline catering facility Flying Food Group (FFG) at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). This marked the first time the EWR team participated in the initiative, with the aim of bringing smiles to the faces of children receiving special gifts.

H.I.G. Capital has announced that BECO Holding Company (BHC) has completed the acquisitions of Electronic Supply Company ("ESC") and Grease Lock. The acquisitions will support the growth initiatives of both companies and leverage commercial synergies.

H.I.G. Capital, a leading global private equity investment firm, has announced that its growth capital investment affiliate, H.I.G. Growth Partners, has completed the sale of its portfolio company, Just Home Healthcare Services (JHC). Lincoln International LLC and Edgemont Partners provided financial advisory services for these transactions while McDermott Will & Emery LLP served as legal counsel to JHC.

H.I.G. Capital has announced that its affiliates have completed the acquisition of Mainline Information Systems. The process saw H.I.G. receive advisory services from Guggenheim Securities LLC, UBS, and Latham & Watkins LLP, while Mainline Information Systems sought advice from Highlander Advisors and King & Spalding.

Thoma Bravo has confirmed its strategic growth investment in BlueMatrix, a leading platform for investment research providers, through a definitive agreement. The finalization of this transaction hinges on regulatory approvals and standard closing conditions.

Rostin Behnam, Chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), has expressed his belief that most digital assets should be classified as commodities rather than securities. His comments were made during an appearance on CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Dec. 12.

Thoma Bravo has announced a leadership transition at Imprivata, with the current CEO, Gus Malezis, moving to a new role as a strategic advisor to the company. Fran Rosch has been appointed as the new CEO.

Wells Fargo has recently announced the appointment of Darlene Goins as the head of Philanthropy and Community Impact, and president of the Wells Fargo Foundation. In her previous role, Goins served as the head of Diverse Customer Segments within Wells Fargo’s Consumer, Small & Business Banking division, where she focused on addressing the needs of diverse customers through customer feedback, analytics, and insights.

Bank of America's Homebuyer Insights Report indicates a shift in the preferences of prospective homebuyers. The report shows that 62% of individuals are currently willing to wait for prices and/or rates to fall before purchasing a home. This marks a decrease from the 85% reported just six months ago.

Citi has revealed that its Treasury and Trade Solutions (TTS) division has invested in Icon Solutions, a leading fintech provider known for its expertise in payments technology and consultancy services. This investment signifies Citi's plan to further incorporate the Icon Payments Framework (IPF) into its micro-services orchestration architecture.

Wells Fargo & Company has announced the appointment of Clay Hale as the new co-head of Equity Capital Markets (ECM) within the Banking division of its Corporate & Investment Bank. The company made this appointment following Hale's recent role as the global head of Consumer & Retail (C&R) Banking, Capital Markets, and Advisory at Citigroup.

Salesforce, a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform offering a variety of tools and services for businesses to manage and analyze customer interactions and data, has reported $298 billion in global digital sales and $51 billion in AI-influenced purchases as of November 28th. The report highlights the significant impact of digital sales during the holiday shopping season.