Back Porch

Edward Wehmer
"It is like Forrest Gump said: 'One less thing to worry about.'"

President and CEO of Wintrust Financial in Lake Forest, Ill., on the decision to raise capital now so the company can strike quickly if a desirable acquisition opportunity comes along

David Nelms
"This is our Coca-Cola formula."

Discover Financial Services CEO on its pioneering role in cash-back rewards for credit cards

Bob Benmosche
"We've got to do the right thing for the shareholders, the biggest shareholder being the government."

American International Group CEO, making the controversial claim that U.S. taxpayers will earn a profit of up to $10 billion on his company's $182 billion bailout

John B. McCoy
"Going down and whining just turns everybody off."

Former Bank One CEO, on banks complaining on Capitol Hill about overregulation

Rep. David Scott
"It seems to me the consumer can really get bamboozled here."

Georgia Democrat, at a House Financial Services subcommittee hearing on mobile payments, expressing concern about a lack of regulatory oversight in this rapidly changing sector

Bill Isaac
"I would not be surprised to see half of the community banks in this country go out of business if we don't give some relief from Dodd-Frank for them."

Chairman of Fifth Third Bancorp and a former chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., criticizing the Dodd-Frank Act

Richard W. Fisher
"We've filled the tank with plenty of cheap, high-octane gasoline. But as any mechanic can tell you, it takes more than just gas to propel a car."

President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, referring to monetary policy initiatives undertaken to kick-start the economy, in the bank's annual report

Richard Davis
"What I don't like about it is we're building a church for Easter Sunday, and it's not going to be used but maybe once in awhile."

U.S. Bancorp Chairman and CEO, on regulators' emphasis on capital

Matt Taibbi
"They lie, cheat and steal as reflexively as addicts, they laugh at people who are suffering and don't have money, they pay themselves huge salaries with money stolen from old people and taxpayers—and on top of it all, they completely suck at banking."

Rolling Stone writer on the largest U.S. bank, in his article "Bank of America: Too Crooked to Fail"