Inside this issue:
Annual 2 Assessment for
Bank Holding Companies
Action on 2 Applications for
the Month of October
Contact 5 Information
News and topics of interest to financial institutions regulated by the Department of Banking and Finance
Monthly Bulletin #10
October 2014
Department Issues Proposed Rulemaking and Provides Opportunity to Comment
On November 3, 2014, pursuant to the provisions of the Georgia Administrative Procedure Act, O.C.G.A. 50-13-1 et seq., and by the authority of O.C.G.A. 7-1-61, 7-1-1012, 7-9-13 and other cited statutes, the Department of Banking and Finance ("Department") gave notice of its intent to adopt new rules.
Comments to the Department must be received by the close of business on Thursday, December 4, 2014.
The Proposed Rules may be viewed or downloaded from the Department's website at: http://dbf.georgia.gov/documents/2014-dbf-proposed-rulemaking-11-3-2014.
Annual Assessment for State-Chartered Financial Institutions
Annual assessment fee letters will be e-mailed to banks and credit unions in November, and the fees will be assessed on December 31, 2014.
Please complete and submit any change of information by December 31, 2014, using the Electronic Funds Transfer ("EFT") Authorization Form. The EFT Authorization Form and Instructions can be found on the Department's website at: http://dbf.georgia.gov/documents/electronic-funds-transfer-authorization-form-and-instructions.
Please e-mail or call Chris Pittman with any questions at cpittman@dbf.state.ga.us or 770-9861641.
DBF Outreach AND UPCOMING SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Commissioner Hagler will be participating on a regulatory panel on December 4th during the Georgia Bankers Association's 2014 Credit Conference being held at the Atlanta Marriott Century Center. Learn more about this event.
"Safeguarding Georgia's Financial Services"
Page 2
October 2014
Annual Assessment for Bank Holding Companies
Annual assessment fee letters will be e-mailed to bank holding companies in November 2014. The fees are due by December 31, 2014, and online reporting/payment is mandatory from the Department's website at: https://bkgfin.dbf.state.ga.us/HCAssessments.html.
Please e-mail or call Chris Pittman with any questions at cpittman@dbf.state.ga.us or 770-986-1641.
PLEASE NOTE: The Department will be utilizing Official Payments Corporation as its credit card service provider for the payment of fees due to the Department. In order to process your payment by credit or debit card, Official Payments Corporation charges a nominal convenience fee based on the amount of the transaction. The convenience fee is 2.50% of the payment amount, with a minimum service fee of $1.00 per payment transaction.
Action on Applications for the Month of October:
The following is a summary of official action taken on applications by State Financial Institutions under Title 7, Chapter 1 of the O.C.G.A. and petitions for Certificate of Incorporation of Financial Institutions and other matters of interest during the month of October 2014.
APPLICATIONS TO ESTABLISH A BRANCH OFFICE
FINANCIAL INSTITUTION HeritageBank of the South Albany
BRANCH OFFICE Norcross Branch Office 3169 Holcomb Bridge Road Norcross, GA 30071 Gwinnett County
APPROVAL 10-30-2014
Southern Bank & Trust Clarkesville
Blairsville Branch Office 361 Blue Ridge Street Blairsville, GA 30512 Union County
Pending
Pinnacle Bank Elberton
Covington Branch Office 6124 Highway 278 Northeast Covington, GA 30014 Newton County
Pending
The Citizens Exchange Bank Pearson
Main Office 1500 Newcastle Street Brunswick, GA 31520 Glynn County
Pending
The Citizens Exchange Bank Pearson
Saint Simons Island Branch Office 60 Midway Square Saint Simons Island, GA 31522 Glynn County
Pending
Guardian Bank Valdosta
Pearson Branch Office 82 Railroad Avenue East Pearson, GA 31642 Atkinson County
Pending
BEGIN BUSINESS
October 2014
FINANCIAL INSTITUTION NOA Bank Duluth
Ameris Bank Moultrie
Page 3
APPLICATIONS TO CHANGE LOCATION
From: To:
CHANGE LOCATION OF Main Office 2476 Pleasant Hill Road Duluth, 30096 Gwinnett County 2385 Pleasant Hill Road Duluth, GA 30096 Gwinnett County
APPROVAL 10-21-2014
From: To:
Drayton Street Branch Office 18 West Bryan Street Savannah, GA 31401 Chatham County 26 Drayton Street Savannah, GA 31401 Chatham County
10-06-2014
EFFECTIVE
PREVIOUS NAME The Citizens Exchange Bank Pearson
NOTICE OF CHANGE IN NAME
NEW NAME South Coast Bank & Trust
APPROVAL Pending
EFFECTIVE
FINANCIAL INSTITUTION MERGERS
FINANCIAL INSTITUTION (SURVIVOR) Members First Credit Union Decatur, GA
MERGED INSTITUTION Fidelity Federal Credit Union Sandy Springs, GA
The Farmers Bank Forsyth, GA
Spivey State Bank Swainsboro, GA
The Farmers Bank Forsyth, GA
The Peoples Bank Covington, GA
The Farmers Bank Forsyth, GA
The Bank of Perry Perry, GA
Community Bank & Trust - West Georgia LaGrange, GA
Community Bank & Trust- Alabama Union Springs, AL
State Bank and Trust Company Macon, GA
Bank of Atlanta Atlanta, GA
First Landmark Bank Marietta, GA
Midtown Bank & Trust Company Atlanta, GA
Southeastern Federal Credit Union Valdosta, GA
Nashville Credit Union Nashville, GA
APPROVAL EFFECTIVE 09-03-2014 10-01-2014 Pending Pending Pending Pending 09-17-2014 10-01-2014 09-12-2014 10-20-2014 10-06-2014
Page 4
October 2014
APPLICATIONS TO BECOME A BANK HOLDING COMPANY AND/OR TO ACQUIRE VOTING STOCK OF A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION
BANK HOLDING COMPANY
TO ACQUIRE
APPROVAL
FORMATIONS MetroCity Bankshares, Inc. Doraville, GA
Metro City Bank Doraville, GA
Pending
LBC Bancshares, Inc. LaGrange, GA
LaGrange Banking Company LaGrange, GA
Pending
Liberty First Bancshares, Inc. Monroe, GA
Liberty First Bank Monroe, GA
Withdrawn 10-31-2014
ACQUISITIONS State Bank Financial Corporation Atlanta, GA
WB&T Bankshares, Inc. Waycross, GA
First Bank of Georgia Augusta, GA
The Citizens Exchange Bank Pearson, GA
Pending 10-30-2014
Action on MALPB Applications for the Month of October:
The following is a summary of official action taken on applications for a Merchant Acquirer Limited Purpose Bank ("MALPB") charter under Title 7, Chapter 9 of the O.C.G.A. during the month of October 2014.
APPLICATION FOR AN MALPB CHARTER
NAME Credorax Bank North America, MALPB c/o Margaret D. Higginbotham, CPA 970 York Cove Milton, GA 30004 Fulton County
APPROVAL Pending
BEGIN BUSINESS
UPCOMING 2014 HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
This is a reminder that the Department will be closed on Tuesday, November 11th for Veterans' Day, Thursday, November 27th for Thanksgiving Day, and
Friday, November 28th in observance of Robert E. Lee's Birthday.
October 2014
DEPARTMENT OF BANKING AND FINANCE
2990 Brandywine Road Suite 200
Atlanta, Georgia 30341-5565
Phone: (770) 986-1633 Fax: (770) 986-1654 or 1655 Email: dbfpress@dbf.state.ga.us
Page 5
The Department is the state agency that regulates and examines Georgia state-chartered banks, state-chartered credit unions, and state-chartered trust companies. The Department also has responsibility for the supervision, regulation, and examination of Merchant Acquirer Limited Purpose Banks (MALPBs) chartered in Georgia.
In addition, the Department has regulatory and/or licensing authority over mortgage brokers, lenders and processors, mortgage loan originators, check cashers, sellers-issuers of payment instruments, money transmitters, international banking organizations, and bank holding companies conducting business in Georgia.
Our Mission is to promote safe, sound, competitive financial services in Georgia through innovative, responsive regulation and supervision.
Our Vision is to be the best financial services industry regulator in the country Progressive. Proactive. Service-Oriented.
We're on the Web!
Visit our website at: dbf.georgia.gov
Sign-up to Receive this Publication:
This publication is delivered to interested parties via e-mail and is also available from the Department's website at: http://dbf.georgia.gov under Publications, Financial Institutions Bulletin.
If you would like to be added to our distribution list, send an e-mail to dbfpress@dbf.state.ga.us stating your name and e-mail address. Please be sure to include "Subscribe to Financial Institutions Bulletin" in the Subject line.