Banking & Finance

AmericanWest Bank to acquire Bank of Sacramento

Transaction to give Spokane bank nine branches in California capital

October 15, 2014

AmericanWest Bank announced this morning that it plans to acquire Bank of Sacramento. The acquisition will give AmericanWest a total of nine branches in the Sacramento area and nearly 100 throughout Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California, and Utah. Bank

Spokane medical-benefits broker to add new division

VEBA planning to hire six employees initially

September 25, 2014

Katie Ross

Spokane medical benefit broker VEBA Service Group is planning to open a call center division here on Jan. 1, says Mark Wilkerson, area president for VEBA. The company, located in 8,400 square feet of space at 906 W. Second downtown, will be hiring six c

Long-term care insurance market faces challenges

Alternative options include hybrid and partial policies

September 25, 2014

Katie Ross

As the number of elderly Americans continues to rise, the cost of long-term care insurance has become a concern, with many here unable to afford the coverage and some choosing to buy hybrid or partial policies, some industry experts here say. Paul Vire

STCU to release 'smart' credit cards

Cards use an encrypted microchip to transfer data

September 11, 2014

Katie Ross

Spokane Teachers Credit Union is introducing a microchip 'smartâ€ Visa credit cards for its members who travel frequently overseas, says spokesman Dan Hansen. The cards use what's known as the Europay, Mastercard, and Visa (EMV) standard. A microch

Alliant acquires Moloney O'Neill

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September 4, 2014

Linn Parish

Alliant Insurance Services, a national insurance brokerage based in Newport Beach, Calif., has acquired Spokane-based insurance and employee-benefits brokerage Moloney O'Neill, the companies announced this morning. Terms of the transaction weren't

Financial centers work to protect elderly from scams

Technology offers more opportunity for swindlers

August 14, 2014

Katie Ross

In late June, the American Bankers Association and AARP announced a two-year partnership to study and help prevent the financial exploitation of elder Americans. Locally, financial institutions are using employee training and customer education to try to

D.A. Davidson program puts emphasis on young recruits

Effort aims to help graduates become successful advisers

August 14, 2014

Staff Report

D.A. Davidson's Individual Investor Group is starting a financial advisor apprentice program.Â With almost 80 years of experience helping generations of clients, Davidson says it has developed this program to give candidates the structure, tools, strate

Edward Jones in growth mode in the Inland Northwest

Company has 57 branches in region, more likely to open

August 14, 2014

Linn Parish

Edward D. Jones & Co. is expanding its presence in the Spokane market as part of a five-year national push to open more offices. Pete Blackwell, a certified financial planner who operates an Edward Jones office at 6319 N. Maple, on Spokane's North Sid

Columbia Bank stakes an Idaho foothold

Tacoma-based company to secure long-sought presence in Gem State

August 14, 2014

Mike McLean

Tacoma-based Columbia Banking System Inc. and Sandpoint-based Intermountain Community Bancorp have similar corporate cultures that will assist integrating the two banks following a planned acquisition that will mark Columbia Bank's long-envisioned entry

Business Cents buys building, plans move

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July 31, 2014

Staff Report

Spokane accounting consultant firm Business Cents LLC owner Steffanie Anderson has purchased a 3,200-square-foot building at 23 N. Napa in the East Central neighborhood and will be moving the business there on Aug. 1, says company spokeswoman Makenzi Rell