Who are First Busey Corporation's competitors, and what are the alternatives?
Busey's 2025 10-K, filed February 26, 2026, says Busey Bank competes with national and state banks, savings and loan associations and credit unions for deposits and loans, and that Busey Bank and FirsTech also compete with asset managers, brokers, payment technology companies, fintech companies and digital asset providers. Its 79 banking centers span 10 states, and its strongest positions are in central Illinois: it ranked fourth by deposits among Illinois-headquartered institutions and first in Champaign and Macon counties (FDIC data, June 30, 2025). In suburban Chicago it meets Wintrust, with 209 locations, Old National, with 346 banking centers in states including Illinois, and First Financial, which put its Chicagoland franchise at $4.1 billion of deposits after its Finward deal (July 2026). In St. Louis and Kansas City, where Busey has 20 and three banking centers, the rivals are Commerce, with 140 branches in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado, UMB, Central Bancompany and Enterprise. In wealth management Busey's $16.51 billion of assets under care competes with Commerce Trust's $94.5 billion and with brokers such as Schwab. The non-bank rivals are clearest in deposits and payments: its 10-K's risk factors name 'fintech companies offering digital-first products', Chime had 10.4 million active members in June 2026, and Block lists banks that provide payment processing among Square's competitors, the market FirsTech's payment technology fees ($20.0 million in 2025) sit in.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]
Data as of Oct 20, 2026 · Busey Bank profile updated Oct 13, 2026 · computed tables recalculate from the 140 bank profiles on this site · Markdown
What does Busey Bank say about its competition?
"Busey Bank competes actively with national and state banks, savings and loan associations, and credit unions for deposits and loans. Busey Bank competes for real estate and other loans primarily on the basis of type of loan, interest rates and loan fees, and the quality of services provided. Busey Bank and FirsTech compete with other financial institutions, including asset management and trust companies, security broker/dealers, personal loan companies, insurance companies, finance companies, leasing companies, mortgage companies, payment technology solution companies, financial technology companies, digital asset providers, and certain governmental agencies, all of which actively engage in marketing various types of loans, deposit accounts, wealth management, and other products and services."[1]
"Busey Bank faces substantial competition in attracting deposits from other commercial banks, savings institutions, digital banks, money market and mutual funds, credit unions, insurance agencies, brokerage firms, and other investment vehicles. Customers for banking services are generally influenced by convenience, quality of service and technology, personal contacts, price of services, and availability of products. Busey Bank attracts a significant amount of deposits through its banking centers, primarily from the communities in which those banking centers are located; therefore, competition for those deposits is principally from other commercial banks, savings institutions, and credit unions located in the same communities."[1]
"Based on information obtained from the FDIC Summary of Deposits dated June 30, 2025, the most recent report available, out of 349 financial institutions headquartered in the State of Illinois, Busey Bank ranked fourth in total deposits within the Illinois market."[1]
From the risk factors of the same 10-K: "Busey operates in highly competitive markets across its geographic footprint, competing with national and regional banks, community banks, credit unions, and a range of non‑bank financial services providers, including fintech companies offering digital‑first products and platforms. Advances in financial technology have enabled non‑banks and large technology firms to provide services historically offered by regulated financial institutions, such as payment processing, credit products, and deposit‑like alternatives." (2025 Form 10-K, filed February 26, 2026.)[1]
Who competes with Busey Bank in each of its businesses?
| Business line | Competitor | Type | Why it competes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home region: Illinois, St. Louis and Kansas City | Wintrust Financial | Bank | Wintrust owned 16 nationally chartered banks with 209 banking locations in the Chicago area, southern Wisconsin, west Michigan, northwest Indiana and southwest Florida at December 31, 2025; Busey has 11 banking centers in suburban Chicago in its East Region and six more in the Chicago MSA.[2][1] |
| Home region: Illinois, St. Louis and Kansas City | Old National Bancorp | Bank | Old National operated 346 banking centers at December 31, 2025, primarily in the Midwest and Southeast, including Illinois and Indiana, where Busey runs suburban Chicago branches and an Indianapolis banking center.[3][1] |
| Home region: Illinois, St. Louis and Kansas City | First Financial Bancorp | Bank | First Financial bought Chicago-area BankFinancial (closed January 1, 2026) and agreed in July 2026 to buy Finward, putting its Chicagoland franchise at $4.1 billion of deposits and more than 40 branches, a third acquirer in Busey's suburban Chicago market.[4][1] |
| Home region: Illinois, St. Louis and Kansas City | Commerce Bancshares | Bank | Commerce has 140 branch locations primarily in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado and offices in Kansas City and Clayton; Busey operates 20 banking centers in the St. Louis MSA and three in the Kansas City MSA.[5][1] |
| Home region: Illinois, St. Louis and Kansas City | Central Bancompany | Bank | Central Bancompany operated 155 full-service branches in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado at December 31, 2025 with a weighted average deposit market share of about 24%; Busey has branches in all four states.[10][1] |
| Home region: Illinois, St. Louis and Kansas City | Enterprise Financial Services | Bank | Enterprise is headquartered in Clayton, Missouri in the St. Louis metro and has branches in the Kansas City and Phoenix metros and in New Mexico, overlapping Busey's St. Louis, Kansas City, Arizona and New Mexico locations.[11][1] |
| Retail deposits and digital banking | JPMorgan Chase | Bank | A national bank of the kind Busey's 10-K names first among its rivals; Chase reported 5,083 branches and 74.6 million active digital customers in 2025, and Busey's risk factors warn of 'increasing competition from large banks and fintech firms for retail deposits'.[12][1] |
| Retail deposits and digital banking | BMO (U.S.) | Bank | Chicago-headquartered BMO's US bank has more than 850 financial centers and 12,000 team members (March 2026), a national-scale rival in the Illinois market where Busey ranks fourth among Illinois-headquartered institutions.[13][1] |
| Retail deposits and digital banking | Chime | Fintech | A digital bank of the kind Busey's 10-K lists among deposit competitors; Chime's own 10-K claims a cost advantage over traditional banks from avoiding branches, and it had 10.4 million active members at June 30, 2026.[1][14][8] |
| Retail deposits and digital banking | Credit unions in the footprint | Credit union | Busey's 10-K says competition for branch-gathered deposits is 'principally from other commercial banks, savings institutions, and credit unions located in the same communities', and its risk factors list credit unions among non-bank competitors.[1] |
| Commercial banking and specialty lending | UMB Financial | Bank | Kansas City-based UMB operated 193 banking centers at December 31, 2025 after its $2 billion Heartland acquisition took it from eight to 13 states; Busey runs three Kansas City-area banking centers, two of them in Leawood, Kansas.[15][16][1] |
| Commercial banking and specialty lending | Wintrust Financial | Bank | Wintrust originated about $21.8 billion of premium finance receivables in 2025 and runs specialty lenders such as Wintrust Specialty Finance; Busey runs industry verticals across its footprint in sponsor finance, energy, Life Equity and SBA lending.[2][1] |
| Commercial banking and specialty lending | Live Oak Bancshares | Bank | In SBA lending, one of Busey's named verticals, Live Oak's AI-run Live Oak Express program for SBA 7(a) loans below $350,000 originated $82 million in Q2 2026, up 63%.[1][17][18] |
| Wealth management and trust | Commerce Trust (Commerce Bancshares) | Bank | Commerce, headquartered in Kansas City with offices in Clayton, Missouri, reported $94.5 billion of trust assets under administration at June 30, 2026, against Busey's $16.51 billion of assets under care.[6][5][7] |
| Wealth management and trust | Central Bancompany | Bank | Central Bancompany reported $17.3 billion of wealth assets under advice at June 30, 2026, a wealth book of similar size to Busey's in overlapping Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma markets.[19][7] |
| Wealth management and trust | Charles Schwab | Broker or asset manager | Busey's 10-K names security broker/dealers and asset managers among its competitors; Schwab gathered $120 billion of core net new assets in Q2 2026 alone.[1][20] |
| Payments and treasury (FirsTech) | Square (Block) | Payments company | Busey's 10-K says FirsTech competes with payment technology solution companies and fintech companies; Block's 10-K lists 'banks that provide payment processing, checking, savings, loans, and payroll' among Square's competitors.[1][9] |
| Payments and treasury (FirsTech) | Commerce Bancshares | Bank | Commerce processed $9.9 billion of commercial card volume in 2025 and sells receivables automation to commercial clients, a treasury business that meets Busey's treasury management, whose fees more than doubled in 2025 with CrossFirst's commercial clients.[6][21][1] |
How do the AI and digital offerings of Busey Bank's competitors compare?
Busey Bank first, then each competitor. Use-case counts, index scores and latest moves are computed from our profiles of each company; "No profile" means this site has no page on it yet.
| Company | AI or digital offering | On the record (our profiles) | Latest dated AI move |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Busey Corporation (this page) | Director of AI, Data Science and Insights (from April 2026)[22][23][1][24][25][26] | Index 44.9 (#64); 13 use cases, 10 in production | Q2 2026 10-Q: AI named in forward-looking risks; headcount and data processing (Aug 6, 2026)[27] |
| Wintrust Financial | AI credit adjudication at Wintrust Specialty Finance: more than 4,000 deals, roughly $500 million, in the first half of 2026[28] | Index 38.1 (#76); 9 use cases, 7 in production | Equipment-finance unit writes on financing the AI boom (Sep 8, 2026)[29] |
| Old National Bancorp | An AI center of excellence; Abrigo's AI Loan Review Assistant (about 31% reviewer efficiency gain, vendor-reported)[30][31] | Index 66 (#40); 14 use cases, 10 in production | Q2 2026 10-Q has no AI language (Jul 29, 2026)[32][33][34] |
| First Financial Bancorp | Not disclosed | Index 4.4 (#105); 11 use cases, 8 in production | Succession reshuffle: Anderson president, former CIO Myers COO (Sep 14, 2026)[35][36] |
| Commerce Bancshares | An AI pillar in its enterprise data strategy and an AI roadmap; 82% digital penetration[37][38] | Index 34 (#84); 10 use cases, 6 in production | Nolan & Associates acquisition completed (Oct 1, 2026)[39] |
| Central Bancompany | Personetics AI-driven money-management insights: 32.5 million delivered (vendor-reported)[40] | Index 24.7 (#95); 11 use cases, 8 in production | Q2 2026 10-Q: $12 million of core modernisation capitalised (Aug 14, 2026)[41] |
| Enterprise Financial Services | Automation journey on the existing technology framework[42][43][44][45] | Index 34.4 (#83); 13 use cases, 10 in production | First banking partner in the AppFolio Stack Marketplace (Aug 6, 2026)[46] |
| JPMorgan Chase | LLM Suite for employees: 150,000 weekly users (February 2026)[47] | Index 89 (#6); 15 use cases, 8 in production | Q3 2026 call: outside AI agents stay blocked; AI spend put near $700 million (Oct 13, 2026)[48][49][50] |
| BMO (U.S.) | Lumi employee assistant and the Aura underwriting agent, targeting 50% faster commercial underwriting by 2028[51] | Index 85.8 (#10); 16 use cases, 14 in production | Evident AI Index 2026: top 20 overall, #2 for AI outcomes (Oct 6, 2026)[52] |
| Chime | AI powers roughly 70% of member-support interactions (January 2026)[53] | 8 use cases, 6 in production | Agreement to acquire Stride Bank (Sep 8, 2026)[54] |
| Credit unions in the footprint | Not disclosed | No profile | Not disclosed |
| UMB Financial | Integration first: the Heartland systems conversion[16][55][56] | Index 47.9 (#61); 10 use cases, 9 in production | 'Playing with the big boys' (Aug 20, 2026)[57] |
| Live Oak Bancshares | Casca AI loan application and origination platform for Live Oak Express[18] | Index 53.1 (#54); 10 use cases, 6 in production | Glia names Live Oak a Catalyst Awards Pacesetter (Oct 8, 2026)[58] |
| Commerce Trust (Commerce Bancshares) | Commerce Trust live on SS&C Advent Genesis (June 2026); the wealth business is 'actively exploring' AI tools[59][37] | Index 34 (#84); 10 use cases, 6 in production | Nolan & Associates acquisition completed (Oct 1, 2026)[39] |
| Charles Schwab | Portfolio Insights generative-AI summaries for all self-directed US retail clients (May 2026)[60] | Index 80.7 (#19); 19 use cases, 15 in production | How Charley was built: employee testing, confirmation before any change (Oct 8, 2026)[61] |
| Square (Block) | Managerbot AI business agent for Square sellers (April 2026)[62] | 7 use cases, 6 in production | Q2 2026: Moneybot passes 1 million weekly engaged accounts (Aug 5, 2026)[63] |
Who should look beyond Busey Bank, and where?
| If you are | Look at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Customers who want branches across the Chicago suburbs | Wintrust or Old National | Busey has 11 banking centers in suburban Chicago plus six more in the Chicago MSA. Wintrust has 209 banking locations across the Chicago area, southern Wisconsin and west Michigan, and Old National 346 banking centers in states including Illinois.[1][2][3] |
| People who want a branchless, app-only checking account | Chime | Busey gathers most deposits through its banking centers. Chime's model avoids branches, it had 10.4 million active members at June 30, 2026, and it says AI powers roughly 70% of its member-support interactions.[1][8][53] |
| Small businesses that want a fast, AI-run SBA 7(a) loan below $350,000 | Live Oak Bank (Live Oak Express) | Busey offers SBA lending as one of its verticals but discloses no automated SBA product. Live Oak Express runs on Casca's AI origination platform and targets 7 to 10 days from application to funding.[1][18] |
| Self-directed investors who want AI portfolio summaries | Charles Schwab | Busey's wealth business is advisory and trust-led and discloses no client AI tool. Schwab's Portfolio Insights generative-AI summaries reached all self-directed US retail clients by the end of May 2026.[7][60] |
| Customers who need branches in the Southeast or on the coasts | JPMorgan Chase | Busey's 79 banking centers are in 10 states, with Florida limited to three around Fort Myers. Chase reported 5,083 branches nationally in 2025.[1][12] |
Where does Busey rank by deposits in its home markets?
Busey Bank's county deposit-share ranks as its 2025 10-K reports them from the FDIC Summary of Deposits at June 30, 2025.
How does Busey's branch network compare with its competitors'?
Branch counts as each bank reports them, with the date.
| Bank | Branches | Where | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Busey | 79 banking centers | 10 states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Florida, Indiana | December 31, 2025[1] |
| Old National | 346 banking centers | Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, Wisconsin | December 31, 2025[3] |
| Wintrust | 209 banking locations | Chicago area, southern Wisconsin, west Michigan | December 31, 2025[2] |
| UMB | 193 banking centers | 13 states | December 31, 2025[15][16] |
| Central Bancompany | 155 full-service branches | Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado | December 31, 2025[10] |
| Commerce | 140 branch locations, plus 13 from FineMark | Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado; FineMark mainly Florida | December 31, 2025; January 1, 2026[5] |
Who are Busey Bank's biggest competitors?
In Illinois, Wintrust (209 locations), Old National (346 banking centers in states including Illinois) and First Financial in the Chicago suburbs; in St. Louis and Kansas City, Commerce, UMB, Central Bancompany and Enterprise. Busey's 10-K also names national banks, credit unions, digital banks, brokers and payment technology and fintech companies.[2][3][4][5][15][1]
Is Wintrust a competitor of Busey Bank?
Yes, in suburban Chicago. Wintrust had 209 banking locations in the Chicago area, southern Wisconsin and west Michigan at the end of 2025; Busey has 11 banking centers in suburban Chicago and six more in the Chicago MSA. Its CEO described AI as a modest competitive factor in Chicago so far (July 2026).[2][1][64]
Is Chime a competitor of Busey?
By category, yes: Busey's 10-K lists digital banks among deposit competitors and its risk factors name fintech companies offering digital-first products. Chime had 10.4 million active members at June 30, 2026 and says its model avoids the cost of branches. Neither company names the other.[1][8][14]
Who competes with Busey in St. Louis and Kansas City?
Commerce, headquartered in Kansas City with offices in Clayton, has 140 branches in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado; UMB in Kansas City has 193 banking centers; Enterprise is based in Clayton; and Central Bancompany has 155 branches in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado. Busey has 20 St. Louis-area and three Kansas City-area banking centers.[5][15][11][10][1]
What are alternatives to Busey for small business banking?
For a quick SBA 7(a) loan below $350,000, Live Oak Express runs on an AI origination platform; for card acceptance and point-of-sale software, Square sells payments and banking to sellers. Busey offers SBA lending as a vertical, treasury management and payment processing through FirsTech.[18][9][1]
Who competes with Busey's wealth management business?
Commerce Trust, with $94.5 billion of trust assets under administration, and Central Bancompany, with $17.3 billion of wealth assets under advice (June 30, 2026), in Busey's Missouri markets; and brokers such as Schwab, which Busey's 10-K covers under broker/dealers. Busey reported $16.51 billion of assets under care and record wealth fees.[6][19][1][7]
Who competes with FirsTech, Busey's payments company?
Busey's 10-K says FirsTech competes with payment technology solution companies and financial technology companies. FirsTech earned $21.6 million of revenue in 2025 and payment technology fees fell 9.0% to $20.0 million on lower online bill-payment income; Block's 10-K counts banks that provide payment processing among Square's rivals.[1][9]
Is Old National a competitor of Busey Bank?
Yes, in Illinois and Indiana. Old National, headquartered in Evansville with its commercial and consumer banking operations headquartered in Chicago, operated 346 banking centers at the end of 2025 in states including Illinois and Indiana, where Busey has its central Illinois and suburban Chicago branches and an Indianapolis banking center. Old National reported about $74 billion of assets in July 2026.[3][65][1]
Is Commerce Bank a competitor of Busey?
Yes, in Missouri and Illinois. Commerce has 140 branch locations primarily in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado, with offices in Kansas City and Clayton, and $94.5 billion of trust assets under administration. Busey has 20 banking centers in the St. Louis MSA, three in the Kansas City MSA and $16.51 billion of wealth assets under care. On this site's AI index Busey scores 44.9 and Commerce 34.[5][6][1][7]
Busey vs JPMorgan Chase: how do they compare in Illinois?
Chase is a national bank with 5,083 branches and 74.6 million active digital customers (2025); Busey is an Illinois-chartered bank with 79 banking centers that ranked fourth by deposits among Illinois-headquartered institutions and first in Champaign and Macon counties (June 2025). Busey's 10-K says customers weigh convenience, service quality and technology, personal contacts and price.[12][1]
- First Busey Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025
- Wintrust Financial Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025
- Old National Bancorp Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025
- Cincinnati's First Financial strikes third deal in 13 months
- Commerce Bancshares, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2025
- Commerce Bancshares, Inc. At a Glance (data as of June 30, 2026)
- First Busey Corporation Announces 2026 Second Quarter Earnings
- Chime Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
- Block, Inc. Annual Report 2025 (Form 10-K)
- Central Bancompany, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025
- Enterprise Financial Services Corp Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025
- JPMorgan Chase & Co. Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025
- March 26, 2026 BMO Investor Day (transcript)
- Chime Financial, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025
- UMB Financial Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025
- The Most Powerful Women to Watch, No. 15, Uma Wilson, UMB Bank
- Live Oak Bancshares Q2 Earnings Call Highlights
- How AI is quickly overhauling one segment of SBA lending
- Central Bancompany, Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results, Declares Regular $0.12 Dividend and Authorizes $100 Million Share Repurchase
- Schwab Reports Record Quarterly Revenue and Earnings
- Banking on a mission (AlloSource client story)
- Bernini Joins Busey as Director of AI
- Q1 2026 Earnings Investor Presentation
- Q2 2026 Earnings Investor Presentation (Form 8-K, Exhibit 99.2)
- Building Relationships When Checking No Longer Confers Primacy
- Busey Bank: 30,000 New Customers, Zero Hiring
- First Busey Corporation Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026
- AI driving funding growth via credit adjudication
- Financing the AI innovation roadmap
- Old National (ONB) Q1 2026 Earnings Transcript
- Old National Bank increased loan review efficiency and capacity with Abrigo
- Old National Bancorp Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026
- Old National Bancorp Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026
- Old National Bancorp Reports Record Second Quarter 2026 Results; Announces Enhanced Executive Leadership Structure
- First Financial Bancorp. Form 8-K (Item 5.02: appointment of President, Chief Banking Officer and Chief Operating Officer)
- After year of rapid growth, Ohio bank revamps its top ranks
- 2025 Annual Report
- Commerce Bancshares, Inc. Investor Update, 4th Quarter 2025
- Commerce Bank Completes Acquisition of Investment Banking Firm Nolan & Associates
- How Personetics and Central Bank Drive Customer-Centered Banking
- Central Bancompany, Inc. Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026
- Enterprise Financial Services C (EFSCP) Q2 FY2026 earnings call transcript
- Why AI Is a CEO's Business Imperative
- Microsoft Copilot: Transforming Everyday Work
- Automation, Efficiency & Resilience: How Privately Held Businesses Can Seize Opportunity in 2026
- Enterprise Bank & Trust Enhances Property Management Client Service Through AppFolio Stack App Partnership
- 2026 Company Update Transcript - Chairman and CEO Q&A
- JPMorgan Chase blocks outside AI agents like Muse, Instinct from directly accessing accounts
- JPMorgan CEO Dimon warns customers of 'liability transfer' with AI
- JPMorgan warns of risks to consumers who rely on AI agents
- Aura: Helping power BMO's goal of 50% faster underwriting by 2028
- BMO Earns Top Recognition for Responsible AI Leadership in Global Banking
- How Chime Is Using AI to Rewire Financial Services
- Chime Announces Agreement to Acquire Stride Bank
- UMB's post-acquisition systems conversion set for October
- AI POV: Impacts on the markets and what the future may hold
- This Kansas City regional bank is playing with the big boys. JPMorgan sees big gains ahead
- 4 Banks and Credit Unions Recognized for AI Innovation
- Commerce Trust Goes Live on SS&C Advent’s Genesis
- Charles Schwab Launches AI-Powered Capability That Helps Investors Understand Portfolio Performance and Market Activity
- Charles Schwab's Amy Ruegg: AI Can Make Investing Easier, but Human Expertise Remains Key
- Square Brings Managerbot to More Sellers, Giving Main Street an Intelligent Business Agent
- Q2 2026 Shareholder Letter (Exhibit 99.1 to Form 8-K)
- Wintrust Financial Corporation (WTFC) Q2 FY2026 earnings call transcript
- Old National Bancorp — Investor Relations (approximately $74 billion of assets)
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