Jim Dobbs

Funneling fees from emergency loans to feed the hungry. Supporting psychological counseling for health care heroes and financial advice for the poor. Backing retrofits of customer operations to produce protective gear for front-line medical personnel. Bankers and financial educators have tossed out the traditional playbook to help clients and communities in crisis.

The millions of dollars earned from Paycheck Protection Program transactions will help cover rising provision costs tied to the new CECL accounting standard and coronavirus shocks to loan books.

The American Bankers Association and the National Bankers Association will collaborate on training and advocacy efforts.

Community banks that have used the Paycheck Protection Program to help businesses ride out the coronavirus outbreak are looking to turn that goodwill into deeper loan and deposit relationships down the road.

The Ohio company, which bought United Community Financial in February, will start operating as Premier Bank this summer.

Banks had an opportunity to delay compliance with the new accounting standard, but many opted to move forward to get ahead of credit issues that could arise from the coronavirus outbreak.

First Horizon still plans to complete its merger with Iberiabank on time, CEO Bryan Jordan said during the Tennessee company's earnings call.

The Dallas company also reported a first-quarter loss after the coronavirus outbreak caused "significant deterioration" in its economic outlook.

MVB Financial plans to use Paladin Group to advise its bank and a number of its fintech clients.

Stress and exhaustion are catching up to lenders and call center employees helping customers grapple with the coronavirus pandemic.

Quick forbearance actions averted an immediate hit to asset quality, but executives warned that a spike in unemployment and a looming recession will cause long-term problems.

By helping borrowers now, banks hope customers can quickly catch up on payments once the coronavirus pandemic ends. If they can’t, interest income will remain low and charge-offs could pile up if the crisis drags on.

The pandemic could lead to a sharp rise in defaults and loan requests from farmers who have struggled with low prices and the impact of trade wars.

The newly minted Transact Bank will provide payment processing and card issuing services to a wide range of clients.

Commercial real estate lenders have to consider not only how they’ll weather the COVID-19 downturn, but whether worker and consumer habits have changed for good.

An uptick in closings is likely, but how many institutions go under and how fast will depend on a variety of factors, including the duration of the pandemic.

Bankers will be pressed on upcoming earnings calls to forecast how the coronavirus pandemic — and the government's response — will shape credit quality, margins and fee income.

The surge in online and mobile use is a high-profile test for the industry — and could foreshadow a permanent consumer shift.

The Federal Reserve's support for the commercial paper market made clear that it was willing to go beyond cutting interest rates, but the central bank may feel pressure to do even more as the crisis worsens.

Bankers say they understand the need for an extraordinary government response to the coronavirus outbreak, but worry that even slashing interest rates won’t stimulate demand.