Allissa Kline is a Buffalo, New York-based reporter who writes about national and regional banks and commercial and retail banking trends. She joined American Banker in 2020 and previously worked for more than a decade at Buffalo Business First, where she covered banking and finance, insurance and accounting. Kline started her journalism career at the Observer-Dispatch in Utica, New York. She graduated from Colgate University and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
-
The Spanish banking giant's pending acquisition of Webster Financial is still awaiting approval from the Federal Reserve Board and the European Central Bank. The deal is expected to close during the second half of 2026.
June 17 -
The North Carolina-based regional has recruited Michael Lyons to serve as CEO, starting Sept. 1. Lyons will replace Bill Rogers, who plans to retire in April 2027.
June 15 -
The megabank has completed the sale of its consumer banking business in Poland. It has now sold 10 retail-focused franchises in certain underperforming, international markets over the past five years.
June 12 -
Rising assessment fees and the fear of punitive actions under newly installed state regulator Rohit Chopra may push some California-chartered banks to switch to a federal overseer, some industry observers say.
June 11 -
Cathy Bessant, who was Bank of America's vice chair of global strategy when she retired, is joining Truist's board of directors and will sit on the company's risk committee. Bessant was American Banker's Most Powerful Woman in Banking for three consecutive years.
June 8 -
The megabank promoted Margo Pilic, CEO Jane Fraser's chief of staff since 2021, to a new job that combines bank strategy with investor communications. The promotion was one of several leadership changes announced by the bank.
June 4 -
While bank CEO pay increased across asset sizes last year, the CEOs of the nation's largest banks received the biggest boosts in total direct compensation, according to a study.
June 4 -
Globally, the war had varying impacts on banks' first-quarter provisions, according to a new report. U.S. banks reported limited reserve-building in response to the conflict.
June 2 -
The Canadian lender's U.S. plan involved selling branches and jettisoning certain noncore relationship loan portfolios. BMO is now positioned to achieve its stateside return on equity target, CEO Darryl White said.
May 27 -
The average number of days it takes for large bank M&A deals to close has drastically shrunk from the past two years, according to a new report.
May 27 -
Support for Citi's annual say-on-pay resolution fell steeply, with about 60% of shareholders voting in favor of the bank's 2025 executive-compensation program. The decline is likely related to a one-time equity award to CEO Jane Fraser and concerns about how the bank determines incentive pay.
May 20 -
Flagstar Bank extended Joseph Otting's employment contract by one year and granted him new stock awards. Simultaneously, the bank promoted two executives to serve as co-presidents, in a move that could be a hint at CEO succession plans.
May 19 -
The $110 million settlement, which was mapped out last fall, requires Wells Fargo to establish a $100 million fund to provide downpayment and closing-cost assistance to eligible borrowers who live in or plan to buy a home in certain low- and moderate-income census tracts.
May 18 -
The Mississippi lender's pending acquisition of OFB Bancshares, the parent company of One Florida Bank, offers an entry point into the fast-growing Orlando market.
May 15 -
Unlike several other large banks, neither Citi nor Citizens Financial Group is interested in expanding their retail branch presence beyond their existing footprints. Both say they see plenty of growth opportunities in those markets.
May 15 -
The largest U.S. bank by assets announced a series of leadership changes affecting its global investment banking business, including three new co-heads to oversee the segment.
May 13 -
Stephen Curley, who was the chief banking officer at Phoenix-based Western Alliance, will join Maryland-based Eagle Bancorp as president and CEO in July. Eagle's current CEO previously announced plans to retire after the bank racked up big losses in office loans.
May 12 -
The Canadian bank signed an agreement to sell the businesses to Stonepeak, an alternative investment firm in New York. The move will free up capital and allow the bank to invest in higher growth-potential areas.
May 12 -
The megabank's first investor day in four years offered a comprehensive look at how it plans to grow profits and drive higher returns in the coming years. Part of the strategy involves branch updates.
May 7 -
On Thursday, Citi will hold its first investor day in four years. The megabank, which has undergone substantial change under CEO Jane Fraser, is expected to share its strategy for driving higher profitability, deploying AI and ramping up shareholder returns.
May 6
