The private-banking prowess of newly acquired City National was the steadying influence Royal Bank of Canada needed amid global and domestic economic shocks in its latest quarter.

Several money managers increased their holdings in banking companies during the fourth quarter and added new investments in other banks.

The Madrid-based bank announced Thursday that it will invest $250 million in Propel Venture Partners.

The additions come as the Georgia regional looks to maintain momentum in commercial lending.

M&T hires Aarthi Murali away from JPMorgan Chase as its customer experience chief; when a small town loses its only bank; why more banks are ditching their legacy core vendors; and more from this week’s most-read stories.

With policymakers focused on ending Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s conservatorship, their regulator is reorganizing key units and adding staff to position itself for the long term.

This is no time to haphazardly pile financial regulation and additional costs on an American economy that seems otherwise set to avoid the catastrophes predicted just last year.

U.S. financial services firms should be paying close attention to the innovative Pix Credit system that is displacing consumer credit cards in Brazil.

A lack of affordable starter homes, increasing homelessness and stubbornly high prices for the homes that already exist have created a pickle that only careful planning and political buy-in can solve.