Amicus Bank


Amicus Bank was a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce which provided non-traditional banking to customers.

Canadian operations

Within Canada, Amicus Bank was primarily responsible for operating President's Choice Financial. Amicus Bank briefly provided services under its own name through Bell Sympatico's portal. It also took on the operation of non-branch automated banking machines which were co-branded for Amicus Bank and CIBC.
The bank asked for and received approval from the Minister of Finance for voluntary dissolution in 2002. Services operated by Amicus Bank are now provided by the direct banking division of CIBC. President's Choice Financial is now a unit of CIBC Retail Markets.
Amicus Bank had 1100 employees in Canada and the US.
XtraCash ATM Incorporated was acquired under Amicus FSB in 2001.

US operations

Amicus had an American unit, Amicus FSB, which was formed in 2000 and has since ceased operations due to cancellation of joint ventures south of the border. Amicus FSB partnered with Safeway grocery stores in western US states and Florida, doing business as Safeway SELECT Bank with 161 locations, and partnered with Winn-Dixie in Florida, doing business as Marketplace Bank with 185 locations. Amicus set up banking kiosks where customers could make deposits, apply for loans, and withdraw money. The US unit ceased operation at the end of November 2002 with customers with certificate of deposit transferred over to E-Trade Bank. Amicus FSB filed with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for voluntary liquidation and closing with operations ceasing on September 29, 2003.

Key people