2015 Survey of Bank Reputations

In a milestone for our annual reputation survey, eight regional banks achieved 'excellent' scores, partly because of a renewed focus on doing what's best for the customer, even at the expense of their bottom lines. Big banks lost some of the momentum they had, but none remain in the 'weak' zone.

Its credibility damaged by shoddy lending and questionable accounting, the Birmingham, Ala., company rebuilt its reputation by putting customers and communities first.

Doing the right thing by customers — like giving them a day to replenish accounts they have overdrawn — crimps profits in the short term, but ultimately leads to higher retention rates, says David Clifton, Huntington's chief customer and marketing officer.

Ally Bank has worked to capitalize on what other banks were doing wrong in retail ever since it launched. Now its newly departed CEO offers some advice to her fellow bankers on how they can do better.

Any company with committed leadership can deliver experiences that create value for customers, colleagues and shareholders, if they adopt these management practices, write Robert Schiff and Victor Liu.