Dean Anason

It’s only early December, but bank CEOs’ comments this week about tax reform, their thirst for deposits, consumer lending initiatives, and challenges in commercial lending offer a sneak peek at what’s coming when earnings season begins next month.

American Banker’s award winners for 2017 had moments in their careers where hard knocks taught an indelible lesson, they trusted their gut or they listened to good advice. Here is a takeaway from each of their stories.

A Long Island, N.Y., man was sentenced to prison time and ordered to pay $2.5 million after pleading guilty in June to ripping off distressed homeowners, said Christy Romero, the Tarp special inspector general.

The $1 billion deal, the second-largest bank acquisition announced this year, will expand Iberiabank's operations in South Florida.

James Lally will succeed Peter Benoist as CEO of the $4.1 billion-asset company at its annual meeting this spring.

Donald Trump was sworn in Friday, but banking industry executives have spent the last two months envisioning a vastly different political, economic and regulatory climate. The dominant question in coming months will be how realistic those expectations are.

KeyCorp has received the Federal Reserve Board's approval to buy First Niagara Financial Group. The $4.1 billion deal is expected to be completed on or about Aug. 1.

The Little Rock, Ark., bank got the final regulatory approval it needed to buy C&S and C1, but not before agreeing to address some community reinvestment concerns in the Atlanta market and elsewhere.

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.

Bank of Botetourt in Buchanan, Va., founded in 1899, said Thursday it has opened a mortgage division to pursue unmet demand for home loans in southwestern Virginia.

Nine former officers and directors accused of hiding problems at Superior Bank in Birmingham, Ala., will pay more than $1 million in penalties as part of settlements with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Bank officials say they are ready for rising rates; disagree on how much the initial increase would help or hurt lending and the economy; and predict more rate increases next year.

A JPM Divestiture; Pivotal Moments at SEC, Fed

The moves disclosed Wednesday were broad, multifaceted and affected nine executives.

Six regional banks have reported their stress-test results under Dodd-Frank for the first time, projecting Tier 1 common equity ratios ranging from 8.04% to 11.4% after an economic shock. However, several also projected multimillion-dollar losses during the stressful period.

It's easy for banks to spin their wheels on local reinvestment, financial education and other efforts to help underserved communities. To make outreach programs successful, bank executives need to carefully vet nonprofit and other partners, listen to their employees on the front lines and reflect on their own reasons for getting into banking.

Citigroup said Tuesday that it plans to exit consumer businesses in 12 countries.

Beneficial Mutual Bancorp in Philadelphia, which dates back to 1853, is the latest old-school mutual thrift to announce plans for a second-step conversion to a fully public stockholder company.

The news that JPMorgan Chase chief Jamie Dimon has curable throat cancer should remind all banks that medical issues involving executives are something many companies will have to face. Here are four things every bank should remember in planning for such events.

Ex-Im Fight Heats Up on Hill; Good and Bad in New Housing Data