The Latest
-
Sunwest Bank moves on AI in search of efficiencies
Ben Xiang, the bank’s chief technology and strategy officer, plans to use AI to automate workflows and add intelligence capabilities to extract value.
-
Inside the explosion of banking charter applications
Pent-up demand led to at least 18 applications being filed with the OCC last year. And that influx could continue in 2026, as two applications have been submitted to the agency in recent weeks.
-
Supreme Court approaches Cook case with skepticism
Liberal and conservative justices pressed lawyers on the cause and notice in President Donald Trump’s attempted firing of the Fed governor – and the consequence of setting a new precedent.
-
Dimon: AI’s effect on labor market ‘may go too fast for society’
The JPMorgan CEO expects AI will result in the bank employing fewer people in five years, even as the company grows globally.
-
‘We’re coming’ to ‘fight you,’ PNC’s Demchak warns banks
“A regional bank that’s trying to protect its moat in a shrinking market, as the large banks and PNC come into their market, is a tough place to be,” CEO Bill Demchak said.
-
Wyoming has big plans for stablecoin
The first state-issued stable token is being deployed to reduce card interchange costs and simplify payments to vendors.
-
KeyCorp names new lead independent director
Two other board members will retire at the bank’s annual meeting. Activist investor HoldCo Asset Management sought board changes, among other demands, in a presentation last month.
-
Crypto lender Nexo fined $500K by California regulator
Nexo issued loans without a state license and without considering borrowers’ ability to repay, the regulator said. A Nexo spokesperson said the “legacy issues” do not “reflect the company’s current operations.”
-
Fifth Third CEO flags acquisition-related cuts
A WARN notice Comerica filed this month indicates 184 jobs are being reduced at the Dallas-based bank’s Frisco, Texas, location.
-
Trump threatens to sue JPMorgan over debanking
President Donald Trump accused the bank of “incorrectly” debanking him in connection with the Capitol riot, and pushed back against an anecdote JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon was offered the Fed chair post.
-
Big banks continue the hunt for AI-driven efficiencies
Executives at BNY, Bank of America and others who reported Q4 2025 earnings discussed AI investments – and when they’re hoping to see them pay off.
-
First Horizon calls out Raleigh as a market of interest
The bank’s CFO said First Horizon isn’t interested in a large acquisition, but if a smaller bank with a handful of branches were to come for sale, “we’re going to run the math.”
-
Senator probes BNY for more Epstein info
Sen. Ron Wyden asked the bank for details related to 18 $1 million wire transfers between accounts linked to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as well as BNY’s KYC procedures and names of individual bankers.
-
PNC mandates 5-day RTO starting May 4
Whispers about a return to full-time office work have been stirring at PNC since CEO Bill Demchak said in a December fireside chat that remote work “hurts” companies.
-
BofA joins Citi, Wells in projecting lower headcounts this year
Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan expects his bank’s workforce to shrink as the lender leans into AI. Citi CEO Jane Fraser, meanwhile, said the “bar is raised” for working at the bank.
-
Deep Dive
M&A in 2026 may put more distance between big, small banks
Expect the acceleration in bank M&A to pick up further, especially in advance of this year’s midterm elections.
-
Q&A
U.S. Bank exec: Customers will want a zero-friction bank partner on AI
“The new bar for digital excellence is, what can we do for our customers, as opposed to having them do it themselves,” the super-regional’s innovation chief said.
-
Fed approves Fifth Third-Comerica deal
The transaction is expected to close Feb. 1, Fifth Third said. The green light, 99 days after proposal, comes despite an intense campaign by Comerica investor HoldCo Asset Management.
-
Lund, Ken. Retrieved from Flickr.
Coastal Financial buys ‘climate-friendly’ fintech GreenFi
The Everett, Washington-based bank will take on responsibility for “governance, oversight and long-term brand stewardship,” arguably deepening a partnership in its BaaS stable.
-
Banks aim for agentic AI scale in 2026: report
The technology is expected to grow beyond early deployments and reach broader adoption across financial services this year, according to Accenture.
-
U.S. Bank to buy BTIG for $1B to bolster capital-markets business
BTIG has served as an equity capital markets referral partner for U.S. Bank since 2014. The two firms subsequently launched an M&A advisory referral program.
-
JPMorgan CFO: Card interest cap would ‘significantly change’ bank’s business
The CFO of the largest U.S. lender didn’t rule out that the banking industry could take legal action if a credit card interest rate cap is imposed, as President Donald Trump has suggested.
-
Regions insider named next CFO
Anil Chadha, the Birmingham, Alabama-based bank's controller and head of corporate finance, will take the role after longtime CFO David Turner retires in March.
-
Ohio bank rebrands in ‘ambition play’
Metamora State Bank, a three-branch, $98 million-asset lender, adopted a new moniker – Bank419 – that embraces the region’s area code rather than tying itself to one town.
-
Retrieved from Federal Reserve.
Fed’s Powell resists DOJ probe
At least two GOP senators and a dozen former Federal Reserve and Treasury officials are questioning the Trump administration’s investigation into the central bank chair’s testimony and construction projects.