In this episode, I had the chance to talk with Michele Alt, cofounder and managing director of Klaros Group and a 22-year veteran of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Michele and I had the chance to discuss:

* What the opening of the “charter window” means and how fintechs should think about the opportunity

* The de novo process vs. acquiring an existing bank

* Michele and Klaro’s recent work on SmartBiz’s acquisition of United Community Bancshares and its subsidiary, Centrust Bank

* Thinking through when becoming or buying a bank makes sense vs. when it might not

* The open letter Michele coauthored alongside many other industry experts advocating for changes the federal bank regulators can make to streamline de novo bank formation

* What Michele is keeping her eye on in DC at the moment

* And much more!

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