Banca Carim
Former Italian savings bank headquartered in Rimini and primarily serving customers in the surrounding area.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Banca Carim, formally Banca Carim – Cassa di Risparmio di Rimini S.p.A., was an Italian savings bank headquartered in Rimini, Emilia-Romagna. Its institutional history began in 1840 with the establishment of Cassa di Risparmio di Rimini, a local savings institution that later became one of the principal banking organizations in the Rimini area. The bank developed a regional rather than national identity, concentrating its activities on households, businesses, and institutions in Rimini province and the wider Romagna market. The bank's corporate structure changed during the Italian banking reforms associated with the Amato Law. Like other Italian savings banks affected by that legislation, the original institution was divided into a banking company organized as a joint-stock company and a separate philanthropic banking foundation, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Rimini. This separation left the foundation as an important shareholder while the operating company conducted banking activities. Banca Carim offered conventional regional-bank services, including deposit accounts, lending, payment services, and financing for individuals and businesses. Its local scale gave it a strong connection to the Rimini economy, which includes tourism, small and medium-sized enterprises, and service businesses. According to the cited reference material, the bank held a 22.01% share of deposits in the province of Rimini, illustrating its importance in its home market. The institution later faced pressure over capital adequacy and asset quality. Following the Bank of Italy's Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process, the required capital thresholds for Banca Carim were raised to 7.80% for CET1 capital, 9.30% for Tier 1 capital, and 11.30% for total capital. At the end of 2015, its reported Tier 1 and total capital ratios were 8.53% and 10.86%, respectively. In 2016 the bank announced a planned recapitalization of €100 million, reflecting the need to strengthen its balance sheet and address supervisory requirements. The bank also absorbed Banca Etica Adriatica in 2013. That transaction expanded Banca Carim's business scope into a banking operation associated with ethical finance, although the institution remained principally a regional bank. In September 2016, shareholders approved a proposal to bring legal proceedings against members of the former management team over alleged faults connected with the period from 2007 to 2010. The proposal formed part of the bank's broader response to legacy management and asset-quality issues. A strategic solution emerged in 2017. Crédit Agricole Italia expressed interest in acquiring Banca Carim and began a due-diligence process. On 29 September 2017, an agreement was signed with the voluntary scheme of the Fondo Interbancario di Tutela dei Depositi. The scheme was to recapitalize the bank and assist with the cleanup of non-performing loans before the handover. In 2018, the planned absorption of Banca Carim into Crédit Agricole Italia was announced, ending the bank's existence as a separate operating institution. Banca Carim is therefore best understood as a historic Rimini savings-bank brand whose independent life concluded through consolidation within a larger Italian banking group.
History
Banca Carim originated in 1840 as Cassa di Risparmio di Rimini, a savings institution established to serve the local economy of Rimini. Over time it became a significant regional bank in Emilia-Romagna, with activities focused on deposits, lending, payments, and financial services for households and businesses. Its principal market was the area around Rimini rather than the whole of Italy. The Italian banking reforms implemented under the Amato Law changed the legal organization of savings banks. Cassa di Risparmio di Rimini was divided into an operating banking company, organized as a società per azioni, and a separate banking foundation, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Rimini. The foundation retained a major ownership role, while the joint-stock company became the vehicle for commercial banking operations under the Banca Carim name. Banca Carim maintained a strong local position. The cited historical material reports that it accounted for 22.01% of deposits in the province of Rimini, indicating substantial regional penetration. The bank's customer base reflected the structure of the local economy, including retail customers, small and medium-sized companies, and organizations connected with Rimini's service and tourism sectors. In 2013, Banca Carim absorbed Banca Etica Adriatica, a specialist ethical-banking institution. The transaction added a distinct ethical-finance component to the bank's activities, while Banca Carim continued to operate primarily as a regional savings bank. The institution later encountered capital and asset-quality challenges. Following the Bank of Italy's Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process, the required ratios were increased to 7.80% CET1, 9.30% Tier 1, and 11.30% total capital. Banca Carim's reported ratios at 31 December 2015 were 8.53% for Tier 1 capital and 10.86% for total capital. In 2016 the bank announced a €100 million recapitalization plan to strengthen its financial position. The same period also saw shareholder approval of a proposal to sue former management for alleged faults associated with decisions and conduct during 2007–2010. A possible change of ownership developed in 2017 when Crédit Agricole Italia expressed interest in the bank and conducted due diligence. On 29 September 2017, an agreement was signed with the voluntary scheme of the Fondo Interbancario di Tutela dei Depositi. The arrangement was intended to provide recapitalization and facilitate the treatment of non-performing loans before the bank was handed over. In 2018, the planned absorption of Banca Carim into Crédit Agricole Italia was announced. This consolidation ended Banca Carim's existence as a separate bank and concluded the independent corporate history of the Rimini savings-bank brand. The foundation and the historic institution remain relevant to the story of local banking in Rimini, but Banca Carim itself is no longer an active standalone banking entity.
- 2018
Absorption into Crédit Agricole Italia announced
[1]Banca Carim is announced as being absorbed into Crédit Agricole Italia, ending its separate corporate existence.
- 2017
Crédit Agricole Italia begins acquisition review
[1]Crédit Agricole Italia expresses interest in Banca Carim and starts due diligence.
- 2017
Interbank protection-scheme agreement
[1]An agreement is signed with the voluntary scheme of the Fondo Interbancario di Tutela dei Depositi to support recapitalization and non-performing-loan cleanup before transfer.
- 2016
Recapitalization plan announced
[1]The bank announces a planned €100 million recapitalization after higher supervisory capital requirements are imposed.
- 2016
Shareholders approve action against former managers
[1]The ordinary shareholders' meeting approves a proposal to sue former management over alleged faults during 2007–2010.
- 2013
Absorption of Banca Etica Adriatica
[1]Banca Carim absorbs Banca Etica Adriatica, an institution specializing in ethical banking.
- 1840
Cassa di Risparmio di Rimini is founded
[1]The institution that later became Banca Carim is established as a local savings bank in Rimini.
Banking company separated from charitable foundation
[1]Under the Amato banking reforms, the original savings bank is divided into a joint-stock banking company and Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Rimini.
Products and positioning
A locally rooted savings bank serving households, businesses, and institutions in Rimini and nearby parts of Romagna. Its identity was based on regional banking relationships rather than nationwide scale; later strategic attention centered on recapitalization, balance-sheet repair, and integration into Crédit Agricole Italia.
Banking services
Retail banking
Banca Carim's core retail activity consisted of deposit-taking and everyday banking for individuals and families in Rimini and neighboring areas. The regional savings-bank model connected customer deposits with local lending and payment services. Specific branded account names and product-level terms are not identified in the cited reference material.
Commercial banking
Business and local-enterprise banking
The bank served companies and other organizations in its home market through lending, deposit, payment, and related financial services. This business reflected Banca Carim's role as a regional intermediary for the Rimini economy, particularly its small-business and service-oriented base. The available sources do not specify individual commercial product names.
Specialist banking · 2013
Ethical banking services
Following its 2013 absorption of Banca Etica Adriatica, Banca Carim incorporated activities associated with ethical banking. The available material confirms the transaction and the acquired bank's specialization but does not provide enough detail to identify separate continuing product lines or their commercial terms.
Controversies
2016
Shareholder-approved lawsuit concerning former management
On 13 September 2016, Banca Carim's ordinary shareholders approved a proposal to sue the former management team for alleged faults linked to the 2007–2010 period. The cited source does not provide the final judicial outcome.
Brand decisions
2018
End independent operations through absorptionM&ABackground
The bank's capital and asset-quality challenges made integration into a larger banking group the chosen strategic direction.
Action taken
Banca Carim was announced for absorption into Crédit Agricole Italia.
Aftermath
Banca Carim ceased to exist as a separate banking entity and its independent brand history ended.
2017
Pursue transfer to Crédit Agricole Italia with interbank supportM&ABackground
Banca Carim required recapitalization and the treatment of non-performing loans, while Crédit Agricole Italia had expressed acquisition interest and conducted due diligence.
Action taken
On 29 September 2017, an agreement was signed with the voluntary scheme of the Fondo Interbancario di Tutela dei Depositi to recapitalize the bank and clean up non-performing loans before handover.
Aftermath
The process led to the announcement in 2018 that Banca Carim would be absorbed into Crédit Agricole Italia.
2016
Approve a €100 million recapitalization planStrategyBackground
The Bank of Italy's supervisory review increased the capital requirements applied to Banca Carim. At 31 December 2015, the bank reported a Tier 1 capital ratio of 8.53% and a total capital ratio of 10.86%.
Action taken
The bank announced a plan to raise €100 million in new capital.
Aftermath
The recapitalization effort was followed by a restructuring and transfer process involving the interbank protection scheme and Crédit Agricole Italia.
Planned recapitalization. €100 million planned (2016)
2013
Absorb Banca Etica AdriaticaM&ABackground
Banca Etica Adriatica specialized in ethical banking, while Banca Carim was a broader regional savings bank.
Action taken
Banca Carim absorbed Banca Etica Adriatica and incorporated the acquired institution's activities.
Aftermath
The transaction broadened Banca Carim's institutional scope, although the bank continued to focus primarily on the Rimini area.
Sources1 sources
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