Weekly Banking Bulletin

May 8, 2026

SECTION I

This section records the receipt of applications and notices to the Banking Division of the Department of Financial Services. Applications and notices received by Foreign and Wholesale Banks, Community and Regional Banks and Licensed Financial Services are listed in order of date of receipt; applications and notices received by Mortgage Banking are listed at the end of Section I by type of application or notice. THE WEEKLY BULLETIN CONSTITUTES THE ONLY WRITTEN NOTIFICATION OF THESE SUBMISSIONS THAT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT. Any comment on, or objection to, any item contained in this Weekly Bulletin should be presented to the Department within 10 calendar days of the date of this bulletin, unless a different time period is specified in the item. More specifically, such comments or objections, including any that concern CRA-related applications, should be either delivered by mail or in person to Office of the General Counsel, New York State Department of Financial Services, One State Street, New York, New York 10004-1417 before the stated deadline or transmitted by email to [email protected].

SECTION II

This section records actions taken by the Superintendent of Financial Services, and other information concerning the activities of the Banking Division of the Department of Financial Services. Actions relating to institutions supervised by Foreign and Wholesale Banks, Community and Regional Banks and Licensed Financial Services are listed in order of date of action; actions relating to institutions supervised by Mortgage Banking are listed at the end of Section II by type of action taken.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Each item in the Weekly Bulletin is identified by a two-letter code indicating the type of institution and a three-letter code indicating the unit of the Department which has supervisory responsibility for the institution. The following is a list of the codes and their meanings:

Institution Codes

SECTION I

May 7, 2026 (SB-CRB)
RIDGEWOOD SAVINGS BANK
71-02 Forest Avenue, Ridgewood, NY 11385

Application dated May 7, 2026, for permission to open and occupy a branch office at 1350 Peninsula Boulevard, Hewlett, Nassau County, New York 11557, received.

Application to engage in business as a Mortgage Broker under Article 12-D of the New York Banking Law received for examination:

May 6, 2026 (BR-MBD)
Applicant(s)
Dean Anthony Franzese
Michael David Giacobbe
As: The Franzese Group LLC
255 Executive Drive, Suite 411, Plainview, NY 11803

Application to establish a Mortgage Banker's Branch received for examination

May 1, 2026 (MB-MBD)
Full Service Branch
GR Affinity, LLC In Lieu of True Name Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC
5616 Memorial Drive, Unit 4, Stone Mountain, GA 30083

Application received pursuant to Section 594-b of the New York Banking Law and Part 410 of the Superintendent's Regulations for changes in control.

May 6, 2026 (MB-MBD)
Applicant(s)
Homebridge Financial Holdings, Inc.
Ryan Joseph Craft
To acquire interest in:
Homebridge Financial Services, Inc. D/B/A Menlo Park Funding
REMN Wholesale
99 Wood Avenue South, Suite 301, Iselin, NJ 08830

Article 12-E Applications Received. Individuals listed may not engage in mortgage loan origination activities prior to the approval of their application for licensing. They must also complete all required education, testing and bonding requirements by the dates set forth in Part 420 of the Superintendent’s Regulations which may be found on the Department’s website.

SECTION II

April 21, 2026 (SF-LFS)
WESTERN FUNDING INCORPORATED
300 S 4th Street, Suite 300, Las Vegas, Clark, Nevada 89101

License rider was issued to reflect the change of main address from 3915 E Patrick Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89120 to 300 S 4th Street, Suite 300, Las Vegas, Clark, Nevada 89101.

May 1, 2026 (CU-CRB)
BEGINNINGS CREDIT UNION
1030 Craft Road, Ithaca, NY 14850

WESTAR FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
2565 Hambletonian Way, Camillus, NY 13031

The Superintendent of Financial Services has filed, pursuant to Section 601-b of the Banking Law, as of 12:01 A.M., May 1, 2026, the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of September 23, 2025, and other required documents, providing for the merger of Westar Federal Credit Union with and into Beginnings Credit Union, under the name Beginnings Credit Union.

The following banking office of Westar Federal Credit Union has become a station of Beginnings Credit Union:

2565 Hambletonian Way, Camillus, Onondaga County, NY 13031

May 2, 2026 (MI-CRB)
FIRST CENTRAL BANCORP, INC.
70 Glen Street, Glen Cove, NY 11542

The Superintendent of Financial Services has filed, pursuant to Section 143-a of the Banking Law, as of 8:00 a.m., May 2, 2026, a Plan of Acquisition of All The Capital Stock of First Central Savings Bank by First Central Bancorp, Inc., dated August 27, 2025, providing for the acquisition of all the outstanding shares of First Central Savings Bank, Glen Cove, New York, by First Central Bancorp, Inc., Glen Cove, New York.

COMMERCIAL BRANCH LICENSE SURRENDER

May 6, 2026 (CC-LFS)
REPUBLIC CAPITAL GROUP, LLC
5519 New Utrecht Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11219

The license to engage in business as a commercial casher of checks at the following location has been surrendered, effective April 30, 2026:

Branch office: 149 Allen Street, New York, NY 10002.

May 7, 2026 (TR-CRB)
MANUFACTURERS AND TRADERS TRUST COMPANY
One M&T Plaza, Buffalo, NY 14203

Authorization granting permission to open and occupy a branch office at the following 4 locations, surrendered for cancellation:

1790 Post Road East, Westport, Fairfield County, Connecticut 06880;
1364 East Town Road, Milford, New Haven County, Connecticut 06460;
5 River Road, Wilton, Fairfield County, Connecticut 06897; and
4531 Main Street, Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut 06606.

Offices discontinued as of April 30, 2026.

License issued to engage in business as a Mortgage Banker Branch under Article 12-D of the New York Banking Law:
 

May 5, 2026 (MB-MBD)
Full Service Branch
American Neighborhood Mortgage Acceptance Company LLC
2 Enterprise Drive, Suite 426, Shelton, CT 06484

May 5, 2026 (MB-MBD)
Full Service Branch
Cliffco, Inc.
300 SE 2nd Street, Suite 600, Office 50, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-1950

License to engage in business as a Mortgage Banker Branch surrendered:

May 4, 2026 (MB-MBD)
Hartford Funding, LTD.
265 Main Street, 1st Floor, Huntington, NY 11743
Effective Date: May 1, 2026

May 4, 2026 (MB-MBD)
1st Priority Mortgage, Inc.
425 Titus Avenue, Suite A, Rochester, NY 14617
Effective Date: April 30, 2026

May 6, 2026 (MB-MBD)
Absolute Home Mortgage Corporation
2051 Saranac Avenue, 2nd Floor, Office 1, Lake Placid, NY 12946
Effective Date: May 4, 2026

Mortgage Banker License Address Changes:

May 5, 2026 (MB-MBD)
Meadowbrook Financial Mortgage Bankers Corp.
From: 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 701, Westbury, NY 11590
To: 110 Stewart Avenue, Hicksville, NY 11801

Mortgage Banker Branch License Address Changes:

May 5, 2026 (MB-MBD)
Meadowbrook Financial Mortgage Bankers Corp.
From: 7380 W. Sand Lake Road, Suite 500, Orlando, FL 32819
To: 189 S. Orange Avenue, Unit 1530A, Orlando, FL 32801

May 5, 2026 (MB-MBD)
MLB Residential Lending, LLC
From: 900 Wheeler Road, Unit #225, Hauppauge, NY 11788
To: 4192 State Highway 30, Suite B, Amsterdam, NY 12010

May 5, 2026 (MB-MBD)
PennyMac Loan Services, LLC
From: 9009 Corporate Lake Drive, Suites 100 and 320, Tampa, FL 33634
To: 9009 Corporate Lake Drive, Tampa, FL 33634

Approvals issued to engage in the business of mortgage loan origination under Article 12-E of the New York Banking Law.

Applications for licensing as a Mortgage Loan Originator under Article 12-E of the New York Banking Law, WITHDRAWN. The individuals listed may not engage in mortgage loan origination activity in New York State or on New York State residential property: