Polo Rocha

Unions have historically had little success organizing bank employees, but recent high-profile gains for the labor movement have fueled hopes that will change. The two elections at Wells Fargo will be a test.

Credit problems in business loans have risen in recent months, as companies that are in a weak financial position have started closing up shop. The difficulty in gauging which banks will face the most trouble is prompting many investors to stay away from the sector.

2023 proved to be a rocky year for large regional banks. But under CEO Bill Demchak's guidance, the Pittsburgh-based company has navigated the turmoil better than many of its peers.

Share prices climbed sharply amid increased optimism about the outlook for interest rates. Regional banks that got hammered earlier this year were among the biggest winners.

The Cincinnati-based bank, which purchased a solar lender last year, is facing an investigation from 17 state attorneys general over the acquired company's lending practices and contractor network. One solar panel installer has gone bankrupt and faced complaints across the country.

The San Carlos, California, consumer lender said it's "exploring strategic options" for its credit card portfolio, discontinuing its investment and retirement products and sunsetting a partnership with Sezzle in addition to embarking on a new round of job cuts.

More banks are selling their underwater bond portfolios at a loss, crystallizing what were previously losses on paper only. Though the maneuver brings some short-term pain, the banks expect to make the money back over time.

The lawsuit by state Attorney General Keith Ellison is the latest challenge to high-cost loans by tribal lenders. The lenders argue that tribal sovereignty gives them immunity from such lawsuits.

As the holiday shopping season approaches, late payments on credit cards have surpassed their pre-pandemic levels, according to a new VantageScore report. The consumers showing signs of deterioration include not only subprime borrowers, but also those with prime credit scores.

Thomas Nides, who until recently was U.S. ambassador to Israel, is leaving his post as the megabank's head of lobbying, communications and community relations. He said recent events in Israel and Gaza "have had a profound effect on me, in ways that I could not have imagined."

The credit card company has been seeing late payments and charge-offs jump following the stellar credit trends of the pandemic. But there were signs last quarter that the picture has started to stabilize.

Charge-offs at the Detroit-based lender rose last quarter, as borrowers had a tougher time keeping up with their car payments. But so far, credit quality is staying within expectations, and company executives don't anticipate that the rest of the year will be much worse.

Goldman Sachs said that its partnerships with Apple and General Motors are hard to exit in the short term. So the investment banking giant is concentrating on making the deals profitable, even as it acknowledges that they may not be a long-term fit.

It's been a rocky few years for senior housing as the sector recovers from its COVID occupancy drop and its profitability takes a hit. But bankers see long-term opportunities amid an aging U.S. population and say their portfolios are healthy.

Net interest income rose sharply at Wells Fargo and especially JPMorgan Chase last quarter, thanks to lighter-than-expected deposit costs. But questions linger about how long both companies can keep a lid on those expenses and whether smaller competitors can do the same.

Jeffrey Brown, who's been Ally Financial's top executive for nearly nine years, plans to leave the company by early next year. His exit comes as deteriorating credit quality and rising interest rates are biting into Ally's profits.

Brown, who's been Ally Financial's top executive for nearly nine years, joined the company 14 years ago and played a key role in reshaping it after the financial crisis. He will become the president of a large auto dealer group.

Camino Financial and Fundation, which are combining, serve distinct slices of the small business market. The deal's architects say it will enable the combined firm to provide more financing options to entrepreneurs, and they argue that now is a good time to lean into small business lending.

Novosel, who leads PNC Financial Services's commercial bank, spent a lot more time talking to clients about PNC's financial footing when the banking crisis hit this spring. 

Before being tapped as the head of Wells Fargo's auto division, Sanders was head of its auto transformation team.