Polo Rocha is a Mexico-based freelance reporter who worked at American Banker from 2021 to early 2025, covering consumer finance and national banking trends. He previously covered the Federal Reserve at S&P Global Market Intelligence and state politics at WisPolitics.com. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has a master's in finance degree from Johns Hopkins University.
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The Cleveland-based regional bank is shedding credit risk in a partnership with the private equity giant Blackstone. It's the latest tie-up between asset managers and regional banks that are looking to free up balance-sheet capacity.
March 20 -
Larger banks are responsible for a special assessment to cover the costs of the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. The price tag has ballooned by $4.1 billion, and trade groups are criticizing the FDIC's process, arguing that it lacks transparency.
March 13 -
Midsize lenders have largely defied the most dire predictions following Silicon Valley Bank's demise. But the nation's largest banks still have structural advantages, and the regionals remain hampered by their real-estate heavy portfolios and the continuing impact of high interest rates.
March 11 -
The Long Island bank plans to balance its loan mix and fix its risk controls. But following a large capital injection led by two former Trump administration officials, the new leadership is asking for more time to formulate its strategy.
March 7 -
Former Trump administration officials Steven Mnuchin and Joseph Otting are headlining an investment group that's seeking to rescue the troubled Long Island lender. Otting is expected to serve as CEO, and Mnuchin will have a board seat.
March 6 -
The auditing giant KPMG audited the three regional banks that failed last year. New York Community's recent disclosures that it had financial reporting weaknesses in 2023 raises new questions over the auditors' role.
March 5 -
New York Community Bancorp faced new questions Friday after a flurry of disclosures led to a steep sell-off in its stock. The embattled Long Island-based lender beefed up its risk leadership, but Fitch cut its rating to "junk" status.
March 1 -
Royal Bank of Canada is optimistic that new U.S. leadership, including former Fifth Third CEO Greg Carmichael, can rejuvenate its struggling City National Bank.
February 28 -
CEO Charlie Scharf has added another former JPMorgan Chase colleague to his leadership team as his shake-up of Wells Fargo continues. The hire of veteran investment banker Doug Braunstein comes as Scharf makes progress on his efforts to grow Wells' investment bank.
February 27 -
The Salt Lake City company has promoted Paul Burdiss, its chief financial officer, to succeed A. Scott Anderson as president and CEO of its banking unit. It also named a new CFO and a new general counsel.
February 26 -
The two companies in the largest bank merger since the 2008 financial crisis released details of their agreement. It leaves the door open for Discover to field better offers, though the payments company would pay a break-up fee of 4% if it accepts one.
February 22 -
The credit card lender's blockbuster acquisition of Discover is not guaranteed to get across the finish line. But co-founder and CEO Richard Fairbank appears to see the rewards that would come from controlling a payments network as outweighing the potential downside.
February 22 -
The blockbuster merger proposal will be reviewed at a time when the Biden administration is expressing skepticism about consolidation. Its analysis will have to account for markets dominated by both big banks and the likes of Visa and Mastercard.
February 20 -
Capital One Financial's proposed acquisition of Discover Financial Services would create a credit card behemoth with its own payments network. The deal is likely to draw tough regulatory scrutiny, though analysts say there are many compelling strategic reasons for the combination.
February 19 -
Investors have hammered the New Jersey-based lender following the turmoil at New York Community Bancorp. But Valley executives say there are key differences between the two real estate-focused banks, and they express confidence that the bank's underwriting will hold up again this cycle.
February 16 -
The regulator's action indicates that — after years of overhauling its operations — the bank has finally shown it's in compliance with the agency's standards on sales conduct.
February 15 -
In a surprise move this week, banking veteran Sandro DiNello was appointed executive chairman of the embattled Long Island-based company, whose stock plummeted in the face of questions about its financial health.
February 9 -
The consumer lender CURO Group says that its agreement with bondholders gives it a 30-day grace period, and that negotiations on a broader restructuring are continuing. The company has lost money in recent years as it shifts away from traditional payday lending to larger installment loans.
February 9 -
The regional bank announced a leadership shakeup on Wednesday, capping a tumultuous week in which shareholders became spooked about its exposure to the commercial real estate sector.
February 7 -
Former Flagstar CEO Alessandro DiNello, who had been New York Community's nonexecutive chairman, was named executive chairman after the Long Island bank's stock price fell by more than 59% in a week. New York Community also issued updates on both its deposit situation and its search for a new chief risk officer.
February 6
