Hanmi Bank

What Hanmi Bank does

Hanmi Bank is a Los Angeles-headquartered community bank founded in 1982 as the first Korean American bank in the U.S., operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of publicly traded Hanmi Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: HAFC). The bank serves a dual customer base of individual consumers and small-to-mid-sized businesses, with a particular specialization in Korean-American consumers and Korean companies operating in the United States, supported by bilingual staff and a dedicated Korea Desk. As of 3/31/2026, the bank reports $7.84B in total assets and $6.80B in total deposits, operating 32 full-service branches across nine U.S. states (California, Texas, Illinois, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Colorado, Washington, and Georgia).

The product portfolio spans standard retail banking (checking, savings, money market, CDs, mortgages, credit cards) and a deeper business banking suite including commercial lending, SBA lending (where the bank ranks in the Top 2% of U.S. SBA lenders by 7(a) activity), equipment leasing, specialty lending, trade finance, treasury management, and merchant services. The technology stack is built around an integrated online and mobile banking platform with AES-256 encryption, EV SSL, secure firewalls, Zelle integration, and a financial-tools account-aggregation module; in 2025-2026 the bank added the Hanmi Authenticator for business MFA and fully digitized business checking account opening.

Revenue is generated primarily through net interest income from real estate, commercial, SBA, and trade finance lending, supplemented by transaction fees (wire transfers at $20/transaction, deposit account fees) and recurring service charges from treasury management, merchant services, and credit cards. The go-to-market model combines a relationship-based branch distribution channel with relationship managers for business banking, a 24/7 telebanking line, and a digital channel for consumer and increasingly SMB onboarding. The bank's competitive positioning rests on its 40+ years of Korean-American community trust, SBA lending scale, and bilingual trade-finance expertise for cross-border Korea-U.S. commerce.

Name

Hanmi Bank

Legal name

Hanmi Financial Corporation

Website

https://hanmi.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Hanmi Bank is a Los Angeles-based community bank founded in 1982 as the first Korean American bank in the U.S., serving individual consumers, small-to-mid-sized businesses, and Korean companies operating in the U.S. across 32 branches in nine states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (52211)

SIC

State Commercial Banks (6022)

akta.pro primary industry

SME Deposits & Business Accounts (Operating, Savings, CDs) (FSABABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Account & Balance Services (Operating accounts, statements, eBAM) (FSABAIAD)

Keywords

• Retail banking services
• Commercial lending
• SBA loans
• Trade finance
• Digital banking

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Net Interest Income: Interest income from lending activities including real estate loans, commercial loans, SBA loans, and trade finance. Primary revenue driver from interest rate spreads on deposits and loans.
2. Loan Origination Fees: Fees generated from loan origination including commercial lending, SBA lending, equipment leasing, and specialty lending.
3. Deposit Account Fees: Fees from checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit. Includes wire transfer fees ($20 per domestic wire transaction) and other service charges.
4. Trade Finance Services: Fees from trade finance services supporting international business transactions for customers.
5. Credit Card Services: Revenue from credit card operations including interchange fees and annual fees.
6. Treasury Management Services: Fees from commercial treasury management services for business customers.
7. Merchant Services: Fees from merchant card processing services for business customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hanmi Bank is a community bank providing deposit accounts (checking, savings, money market, CDs), consumer lending (mortgages, personal credit cards), and business banking (commercial lending, SBA 7(a) loans, equipment leasing, specialty lending, trade finance, treasury management, merchant services, business credit cards). It serves personal and business customers through 32 full-service branches across 9 U.S. states plus integrated online and mobile banking with specialized bilingual Korea Desk services for Korean-American and Korea-linked businesses.

Product overview

Hanmi Bank is a community bank offering a unified banking platform with personal and business banking services. The core product portfolio spans deposit accounts (checking, savings, money market, CDs) and lending products (mortgages, commercial loans, SBA loans, specialty lending, trade finance). Digital banking is delivered through an integrated online and mobile banking platform featuring Zelle payments, eStatements, and the Financial Tools aggregation module. Business banking includes specialized services like Treasury Management, Merchant Services, and the Korea Desk for Korean-American customers. The bank also offers complementary tools including the Hanmi Authenticator for enhanced security, the Hanmi Remote Cash Depositor for cash-intensive businesses, and uChoose Rewards for debit card holders. SBA lending is a key differentiator with Top 2% national lender status.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hanmi Neighbor: Community outreach program featuring scholarship and volunteer programs for the community
• Hanmi Dream Scholarship
• Hanmi Authenticator
• Hanmi Remote Cash Depositor (HRCD)

Products and services

• Personal Checking Personal checking account with standard banking features, online and mobile access, and Zelle integration for person-to-person payments, targeted at individual consumers including the Korean-American community.
• Personal Savings & Money Market Personal savings and money market deposit accounts for accumulating funds with competitive interest rates, designed for individual savers.
• Personal Certificate of Deposit Time deposit accounts with fixed terms and guaranteed returns for personal savings.
• Home Mortgage Loans Residential mortgage financing for purchasing or refinancing owner-occupied properties, available to individual consumers.
• Personal Credit Cards Personal credit card products with rewards and fraud protection features, targeted at individual consumers.
• Business Checking Business checking accounts with 24/7 mobile access, relationship-based service, and full digital account opening capabilities, targeted at small and mid-sized business customers.
• Business Savings & Money Market Business savings and money market deposit accounts for business liquidity management.
• Business Certificate of Deposit Business time deposit accounts with fixed terms for surplus business funds.
• Commercial Lending Commercial loans including term loans and lines of credit for business expansion, equipment, and working capital, targeted at small and mid-sized businesses.
• SBA Lending Small Business Administration loans including SBA 7(a) loans, supporting small business growth; Hanmi is a Top 2% SBA Lender in the U.S.
• Equipment Leasing Financing solutions for business equipment acquisition through leasing arrangements.
• Specialty Lending Specialized lending solutions for unique business financing needs outside standard commercial lending parameters.
• Trade Finance International trade financing services including letters of credit and trade finance solutions for businesses engaged in global commerce, especially U.S.–Korea trade.
• Business Credit Cards Business credit card products with expense management and rewards features, targeted at business customers.
• Treasury Management Cash management and treasury services for business liquidity, payment processing, and financial operations.
• Merchant Services Payment processing solutions enabling businesses to accept card payments and manage transactions.
• Korea Desk Specialized banking services for Korean companies operating in the U.S. and Korean-American businesses, providing bilingual language support and cultural expertise for cross-border banking and trade.
• Online & Mobile Banking Digital banking platform providing 24/7 account access via web and mobile applications, including account management, transfers, bill pay, mobile check deposit, alerts, and Zelle integration for personal and business customers.
• Hanmi Remote Cash Depositor (HRCD) Smart safe solution for businesses handling large cash volumes, enabling secure cash deposits, automated counting, armored carrier transport, and same-day credit availability.
• Hanmi Authenticator Enhanced multi-factor authentication tool for business banking providing additional authentication layer and secure access verification.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 2% SBA Lender in the U.S. by SBA 7a Activity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Korean Family Advisory & Counseling Center (KFAM)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2025Partnership for Hanmi Dream Scholarship program supporting youth in foster care. KFAM helps distribute scholarships to foster youth and those affected by domestic violence. The partnership focuses on educational support for at-risk youth in the Korean-American community.
• Strategic Partner for Korean CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Hanmi Bank formed a strategic partnership to support Korean companies operating in the U.S. market, providing specialized banking services and community connections.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bank of Hope: Direct Korean-American community bank and Hanmi's closest competitor, formed from the merger of BBCN and Wilshire Bancorp. Competes head-to-head in Korean-American retail, SME, and SBA lending, serving a similar customer base with bilingual services.
• Cathay Bank: California-headquartered community bank serving Asian-American communities, with similar focus on ethnic community banking, commercial lending, and trade finance for Asian-American businesses, particularly Chinese-American.
• East West Bank: Asian-American focused commercial bank providing SBA lending, commercial loans, and trade finance to immigrant-owned businesses. Comparable as a community bank targeting Asian-American business customers on the West Coast.
• Royal Business Bank: California-based community bank serving primarily Chinese-American and Asian-American business customers with similar commercial lending, SBA, and trade finance offerings. Comparable scale and customer profile.
• Open Bank: California-chartered community bank focused on Korean-American and broader Asian-American commercial and retail banking, providing competing branch and digital banking services in the same Los Angeles market.
• First General Bank: Southern California community bank serving the Asian-American small business segment with deposit and commercial lending products, overlapping with Hanmi's Korean-American SME customer base.
• Pacific City Financial Corporation: Parent of Pacific City Bank, a Korean-American focused community bank in Southern California offering similar SBA, commercial, and retail banking services targeting the same customer demographic.

Broad incumbents

• NongHyup Bank (NACF) U.S. operations: Major Korean agricultural and banking cooperative with U.S. presence serving Korean companies and trade finance. Larger parent organization with broader Korean market positioning but overlapping Korean-American corporate and trade finance services.
• City National Bank: Los Angeles-headquartered commercial bank with significantly larger scale serving similar commercial, private banking, and entertainment industry clients in California. Comparable commercial banking products but broader market positioning.
• JPMorgan Chase (Community Banking/Business Banking): Largest U.S. bank providing small business banking, SBA loans, commercial banking, and digital platforms. Competes for the same deposit and small-business customers but at vastly larger scale and broader product breadth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hanmi-bank

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hanmi Bank