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 acquisition will add $8 billion of assets under management to the Illinois bank's wealth subsidiary. It marks another example of U.S. banks bolstering their wealth management businesses in a bid to collect more fee income.
By Polo RochaNovember 15 -
The quickly shifting deposit picture — an effect of the Federal Reserve's rapid interest rate increases — is prompting many banks to raise rates to prevent depositors from leaving. Several institutions saw their loan-to-deposit ratios jump above 100% during the third quarter.
By Polo RochaNovember 13 -
A ballot initiative that places additional restrictions on debt collectors and decreases the interest rates that can be charged on medical debt passed Tuesday by an overwhelming margin. Consumer advocates say it will ease the burden on households dealing with hardship, but industry groups contend that it will make credit more expensive.
By Polo RochaNovember 10 -
During the third quarter, revenues at the online consumer lender fell by 31% from the previous three months. CEO Dave Girouard expressed dissatisfaction but also argued that the company's lending model is working as intended.
By Polo RochaNovember 9 -
Executives from PNC, Regions and M&T are expressing confidence that their loan books can withstand a recession. "We don't see crisis-type things in front of us right now," said PNC Chief Financial Officer Robert Reilly.
By Polo RochaNovember 3 -
The online consumer lender has told about 140 employees who process loan applications that it is eliminating their positions. The job cuts come as Upstart struggles to get banks and other investors interested in buying enough of its loans.
By Polo RochaNovember 2 -
Kristy Fercho, who's run the bank's home lending division since August 2020, will report directly to CEO Charlie Scharf and sit on the operating committee. Last year, she became the first Black person to chair the Mortgage Bankers Association, and she took the top spot in American Banker's Most Powerful Women to Watch this year.
By Polo RochaNovember 1 -
The agreement, which still needs court approval, should help what remains of the online small-business lender as it moves through bankruptcy proceedings. After Kabbage emerged as a major Paycheck Protection Program lender, some of its key assets were sold to American Express.
By Polo RochaOctober 31 -
Pricing discipline at the Georgia bank contributed to a 3.5% quarter-over-quarter decline in deposits. To stem the tide, the company plans to lean into core deposits, brokered deposits and advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank System.
By Polo RochaOctober 20 -
Yet the Detroit company's stock fell more than 8% after its earnings report, indicating the market "seems more tentative" than Ally about the credit outlook, one analyst said.
By Polo RochaOctober 19 -
Rather than trying to reach the masses, which proved to be expensive, Goldman is focusing on marketing its online banking platform to its existing pool of wealth management clients. The investment bank has learned that it's "better to play to our strengths," CEO David Solomon said Tuesday.
By Polo RochaOctober 18 -
The San Francisco bank tallied $2.2 billion in net operating losses, higher than in any quarter since late 2017. The charges offset what otherwise would have been a strong third-quarter performance.
By Polo RochaOctober 14 -
The average interest rates that banks pay to commercial clients jumped at the end of the summer, according to survey data. Industry executives are likely to face questions about the outlook for 2023 during upcoming earnings calls.
By Polo RochaOctober 13 -
The settlement with an insurer over Countrywide's mortgage-backed securities closes another chapter on what quickly proved to be an ill-advised acquisition for Bank of America. A trial on the case had kicked off last month.
By Polo RochaOctober 7 -
Amid fears of a recession, industry observers will be on the lookout for signs of distress in credit cards and auto loans. One analyst said "the positive trends we've been seeing are starting to erode, and the pressure is going to start building."
October 6 -
Financial institutions of all sizes — from JPMorgan Chase to SouthState to Fairwinds Credit Union — have reopened many branches, rolled out mobile banking units as well as reemployed pandemic-era digital and loan-forgiveness strategies in parts of Florida and South Carolina devastated by the powerful hurricane.
October 3 -
TD Bank, the U.S. unit of the Canadian bank, has hired Christopher Fred as its new head of U.S. credit cards and unsecured lending. The bank's retail partners include Target and Nordstrom.
By Polo RochaOctober 3 -
A new report from American Banker's parent company finds that traditional banks are vulnerable to competition from online banks and fintechs such as PayPal and Square. It recommends that banks build deeper relationships with small-business owners by adding more products to their traditional suite of offerings.
By Polo RochaOctober 2 -
The report, which examined trends between 2010 and 2021, found that the country's biggest banks only opened 638 branches in low-to-moderate-income communities made up primarily of people of color. That accounts for just 15% of their total branch openings.
By Polo RochaSeptember 29 -
The online lender approved Black applicants at lower rates than non-Hispanic whites, according to a law firm that monitors its artificial intelligence models. Upstart said it's an industry leader in fair lending but acknowledged room for improvement, calling disparities "an industry-wide challenge."
By Polo RochaSeptember 26




















