Laura Alix

Big banks have plans to open hundreds of branches in new markets to add deposits, but smaller regionals have largely sought to hold the line on costs. Cullen/Frost Bankers' decision to double its branch count in Houston may be a sign that midsize banks are rethinking their retail strategy.

The Minneapolis company said in an email to American Banker that it would reduce its headcount by approximately 1%, or about 740 positions, across the company.

The Florida bank set aside much less money to cover soured medallion loans in the third quarter, and total loans rose more than 7%.

The pressure is on for banks to lean more heavily on capital markets, wealth management and other nonmortgage sources of fee income. That could get tougher in upcoming quarters.

Though consumer lending and C&I lending improved at the Cincinnati company, its corporate and mortgage banking revenues fell in the third quarter. Last year Fifth Third also posted a one-time gain of $1B associated with its sale of shares in Vantiv, complicating the comparison.

The Salt Lake City bank said consumer loans rose 7% from a year earlier. That was one of its several quarterly highlights.

Better web access, paid for by banks, could go a long way toward moving the unbanked into the mainstream. It was one of many ideas batted around at a recent a conference on the role fintech can play in promoting financial inclusion.

The $22.9 billion-asset TCF also highlighted improvements in credit quality in the third quarter as it continued to exit the auto finance business.

Strong net interest income and other factors made up for a drop in investment banking and other noninterest income at the Atlanta bank, which reported double-digit earnings growth.

A shifting C&I landscape, heated competition for deposits and red flags in consumer lending also took center stage in often testy exchanges between bankers and analysts on quarterly earnings calls.

Commercial and industrial lending rose 8% in the third quarter at the Cleveland bank, but other factors drove its double-digit gain in profits as overall loan growth was modest.

The Portland, Ore, company also benefited from lower expenses and an improved efficiency ratio.

The Pittsburgh bank reported a double-digit increase in 3Q profits on a mix of higher loan yields in its retail and corporate banking units, higher corporate service fees and several other factors.

This week’s name change is the latest in a string of moves Ira Robbins has made since he replaced his mentor, Gerald Lipkin, in January.

Fifth Third has allegedly informed Spike's Tactical that its accounts would not be renewed.

They are good at helping track savings, spending and debt, but they do not always provide consumers with a complete picture of their financial health.

Whitney Austin is still recovering after being shot 12 times by the man who killed three people in the Cincinnati bank’s headquarters branch last month. The digital product manager has a new cause, has formed a foundation and is rethinking working life as she prepares to return to the bank.

Few small businesses in Puerto Rico applied for credit to finance recovery from hurricane damage. The reasons are instructive for financial institutions’ response to disaster recovery, the New York Fed says.

As the Cincinnati bank seeks to regroup after the fatal shootings at its headquarters, the incident underscores the need for preparedness at banks and credit unions of all sizes, workplace safety experts say.

Zions is streamlining its 500 deposit products as part of a massive core conversion, and its female executives are leading the effort.