The bank merged with Banca Popolare di Milano on 1 January 2017. to form Banco BPM.

However, Italian Law N°3/2015 required all Popular Banks (Banca Popolare) with total assets above €8 billion, to transform into società per azioni (company limited by shares).

At the same time the new bank would be registered as S.p.A. Banco Popolare was a component of FTSE MIB index of Borsa Italiana (Italian stock exchange).

[3] From 2002 to 2004 the group made multiple deals with insurer Cattolica Assicurazioni on Credito Bergamasco and other joint ventures.

In June 2009 the company became the first Italian bank to receive state aid from the Government of Italy due to the ongoing financial crisis.

In the same year most of the subsidiaries were absorbed into the parent companies, but remained as a brand and as internal bank divisions and departments.