✅ Deal Approved: Thoughts on Capital One-Discover

With regulators on board, Capital One is poised to reshape and redefine the payments landscape. We also look at what bankers have said about macroeconomic uncertainty.

Hello, Bank Slaters!

It’s been a busy few weeks here. We’re keeping an eye on 1Q earnings—including what bankers are saying about tariff battles and the potential for a recession (more on that below).

We are plugging away on an exciting project for a bank out West, helping them improve their deposit-gathering and lending processes, while identifying ways that they can put their low-cost funding to work on the asset side of the balance sheet.

Let us know if you need a hand reviewing your policies, processes, and procedures, or if you want an extra set of eyes on upcoming planning sessions.

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Let’s talk about Capital One’s pending purchase of Discover Financial Services.

Capital One received long-awaited regulatory approval to buy Discover in a landmark $35.3 billion all-stock deal. The green light from the Fed and OCC signals the pending formation of a financial services powerhouse that will reshape the credit card and payments landscape. The deal is expected to close on May 18.

Here are five key takeaways from the decision—and why they matter: