There wasn't just one recipe for landing among the top-performing banks with $50 billion or more in assets. There were two — or, in some cases, a mix of both.

OFG Bancorp, the parent company of Oriental Bank, has steadily climbed American Banker's rankings of the nation's top-performing banks. Here's how the Puerto Rican bank did it.

United Bank and Five Points Bank, both ranked among the top-performing banks by Capital Performance Group, said they have stayed in the mortgage business because they see it as a way to build strong relationships in the communities they serve.

An FDIC plan to help community banks evaluate potential fintech partners is valuable, as far as it goes. But it cannot account for the unique and specific risks that arise when two companies operate in partnership.

In the age of artificial intelligence and digitization, banks run the risk of looking homogenous. The differentiator will always be the willingness of bankers to work to engage with customers and communities.

Recent federal guidance stopped short of issuing rules for banks' artificial intelligence use, but bank examiners already have some tools they can deploy to make sure these systems operate safely.

As regulators lower regulatory hurdles, many advisors are seeking greater access to private investments, while asset managers and fintechs are trying to eliminate technical barriers keeping regular investors out.

Private-placement life insurance can offer tax-free growth and alternative investments for ultrawealthy clients, but advisors warn it isn't right for everyone who can afford it.

Betterment Advisor Solutions, formerly Betterment for Advisors and Betterment Institutional, is changing its platform fees into a tiered rate that begins at 0.20% for advisory practices with less than $10 million in the business, Betterment CEO Sarah Levy says.

The guidance reflects a mortgage servicing rights market that has broadly included the customer value in refinancing for over a decade, experts say.

Chase Home Lending announced a limited-time rate sale, while Citizens Bank and Bank of America are focused on building up affordability programs.

Freddie's 30-year hit 7.03%, first above 7% since Jan. 2025, as 10-year yield tops 5.1%. ARM share jumped to 9.8%; lenders should pitch ARMs to keep payment-sensitive buyers.