# First Merchants Corporation

> First Merchants Corporation is the publicly traded Muncie holding company behind First Merchants Bank and its Private Wealth Advisors division. It combines consumer accounts, business lending, treasury services and wealth management, with a Midwestern branch network and nationwide SBA lending. Its strategy pairs acquisitions with relationship banking.

- **Founded:** 1982
- **Headquarters:** Muncie, United States
- **Founders:** Hardin Roads (Founder of predecessor Merchants National Bank of Muncie in 1893; the bank’s board formed the holding company in 1982)
- **Products:** Personal banking, Consumer lending, Commercial banking, SBA lending, Treasury management
- **Notable:** Predecessor bank incorporated in 1893; holding company formed in 1982., Nasdaq stock listing began in 1989., Completed First Savings Financial Group acquisition effective February 1, 2026.

## Products & services

- **Personal banking** — Checking, savings, debit cards, mobile deposits, bill pay and digital account tools.
- **Consumer lending** — Mortgages, home equity borrowing, vehicle loans, personal loans and credit cards.
- **Commercial banking** — Business deposits, commercial real estate, agricultural, asset-based, sponsor and other specialized financing.
- **SBA lending** — Nationwide SBA 7(a), Express and 504 financing for qualifying small businesses; the bank identifies itself as an SBA Preferred Lender.
- **Treasury management** — Liquidity management, payables, receivables and fraud-prevention services.
- **First Merchants Private Wealth Advisors** — Investment management, estate and financial planning, retirement and private banking services, as a division of First Merchants Bank.
- **Retirement Plan Services powered by Vestwell** — Employer retirement-plan services offered through a named platform partnership.

## Achievements

- Predecessor bank incorporated in 1893; holding company formed in 1982.
- Nasdaq stock listing began in 1989.
- Completed First Savings Financial Group acquisition effective February 1, 2026.
- SBA Preferred Lender with nationwide small-business lending.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Reported third-quarter common net income of $67.8 million and $21.1 billion of assets. Net charge-offs were $29.4 million; nine-month acquisition expenses were $21.7 million and the first-quarter mortgage-sale valuation adjustment was negative $29.8 million.
- **2026-10** — Announced Mark Hardwick’s retirement at year-end 2026 and Mike Stewart’s appointment as President and CEO at the start of 2027.
- **2026-10** — Announced a planned downtown Royal Oak banking center; opening remains subject to occupancy and regulatory approval.
- **2026-06** — Announced the 2026-2030 community benefits agreement with NCRC.
- **2026-02** — Closed the First Savings merger effective February 1; the September 2025 announcement valued the all-stock transaction at approximately $241.3 million.

## Links

- Website: https://www.firstmerchants.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-merchants-corporation
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/FirstMerchants
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/FirstMerchants/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/first-merchants-corporation
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22