Allissa Kline

Changes that began at individual banks in 2021 gained steam this year, as many large and midsize banks reduced their reliance on overdraft-related charges. Federal and state policymakers were key catalysts of the sea change.

The overwhelming majority of top leaders at large U.S and Canadian banks expect a prolonged downturn in 2023, according to a recent survey. Almost none of them expect it to be particularly harsh, though.

CEO Bill Rogers affirmed the North Carolina bank's commitment to an expansion of Truist Insurance Holdings. But he declined to comment on a recent report that the company was exploring the potential sale of up to 30% of the business.

Even though there has been some progress over the last eight years, men continue to hold many more board seats and jobs on executive teams than women, according to a recent report from DBRS Morningstar.

The San Francisco bank joined Bank of America, U.S. Bancorp and Huntington Bancshares, which have previously introduced similar products. The Pew Charitable Trusts said the loans are a more affordable option for cash-strapped consumers than payday loans and overdraft fees.

Since the start of the month, the San Francisco-based bank has announced the addition of three wealth management teams — one each from Merrill Lynch, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo.

The San Francisco company is now estimating a net interest margin of 2.45% for the fourth quarter, down from 2.71% three months earlier. The profitability metric has suffered as customers ask for higher rates on their deposits.

Average deposits at the Northern California bank are expected to decline again in the fourth quarter as startups' spending outpaces the venture capital investments they raise. CEO Greg Becker acknowledged the near-term headwinds but said the bank's fundamentals remain solid.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has approved New York Community Bancorp's proposed acquisition of Flagstar Bancorp, the companies announced Friday. The banks are extending the deal deadline to Dec. 31 as they continue to seek the green light from the Federal Reserve.

Eighteen months after the $2.6 billion deal was announced — and five days before the Oct. 31 deadline — New York Community is still waiting for regulatory approval to buy the Michigan bank. On their joint earnings call, the companies wouldn't say where the deal stands.

CEO Rob Holmes says that much of the Dallas company's increased spending is now in the past. But meeting the bank's targets is "a complete show-me story," one analyst said.

The Cleveland bank expects to lose about $25 million in fee income per quarter as a result of recent changes to its overdraft policies. CEO Chris Gorman said Key plans to compensate by expanding its customer base.

An uptick in so-called operating losses helped drive up noninterest expenses excluding M&A costs at Truist Financial by 2% year over year, complicating its efforts to achieve positive operating leverage. The cost of reimbursing customers hurt by fraud seems to have been a contributing factor.

The custody bank recorded a 59% drop in net income as a result of the goodwill impairment charge. New CEO Robin Vince sought to assure analysts that the one-time item does not reflect either a change in strategy or the well-being of the company's investment management business, which took the hit.

Its investment banking and corporate lending revenues dipped during the third quarter, while treasury services and branded cards were bright spots. That formula will be tested by "rolling, country-level recessions" across the globe, CEO Jane Fraser predicts.

The Southern California branches will be sold to HomeState Bank, a Seattle-based community bank. The Department of Justice required the sale as part of U.S. Bancorp's pending acquisition of MUFG Union Bank.

Yvette Hollingsworth Clark, once the chief compliance officer at Wells Fargo, has taken on a similar role at the Boston-based custody bank.

During a visit to Buffalo on Friday, New York Federal Reserve President John Williams said the central bank may need to keep cranking up interest rates to gain greater control over high inflation.

Amid fears of a recession, industry observers will be on the lookout for signs of distress in credit cards and auto loans. One analyst said "the positive trends we've been seeing are starting to erode, and the pressure is going to start building."

Financial institutions of all sizes — from JPMorgan Chase to SouthState to Fairwinds Credit Union — have reopened many branches, rolled out mobile banking units as well as reemployed pandemic-era digital and loan-forgiveness strategies in parts of Florida and South Carolina devastated by the powerful hurricane.