Consumer banking
There are now less than 6,900 banks in the United States, the smallest number of financial companies since the Great Depression and bankers expect the industry to contract even more in coming years. American Banker editors discuss the stakes for community banks and why the country still needs thousands of small banks.
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The National Fair Housing Alliance is accusing big banks of racial bias for neglecting homes they've foreclosed on in minority neighborhoods. Bankers deny the charges but are anxious to avoid a public fight with a nonprofit that's closely tied to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. American Banker staffers discuss.
December 4 -
Big banks are getting surprisingly good grades for customer satisfaction, despite lingering scandals and waves of new fees since the financial crisis, according to J.D. Power. Big banks' better technology and efforts to improve their customer service have off-set some of the reputational issues affecting them, J.D. Power executive Rocky Clancy explains.
December 2
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When Isis launched its mobile wallet nationwide in November, it also launched new technology for customers who want to use their phones instead of cards or cash to pay at the checkout counter. Reporters from American Banker and PaymentsSource tested the new technology and share their findings.
November 26 -
John Stumpf, Chairman and CEO of Wells Fargo, has kept his bank profitable for 15 record-breaking quarters, presided over its expansion from coast to coast, and steered clear of the worst regulatory troubles following his biggest competitors. American Banker editors discuss why he is the Banker of the Year for 2013.
November 21 -
JPMorgan Chase this week agreed to pay $13 billion to settle mortgage-related claims, under a landmark agreement with the Department of Justice. American Banker editors discuss what the settlement means for the bank, Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon and state and federal authorities.
November 20 -
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Wednesday unveiled an enforcement action against Cash America International for robo-signing and other violations. American Banker editors discuss what the action says about the future of the small-dollar loan market and the CFPB's future enforcement activities.
November 20 -
How can banks charge their customers more without inviting their outrage? By introducing new services to off-set the fees and by communicating clearly with their customers, according to some small banks. American Banker reporters discuss other tips for companies that are trying to raise their prices but keep their customers happy.
November 14 -
The East Coast oil boom and the rise in hydraulic fracturing are creating headaches for banks that lend to local homeowners, who risk violating government mortgage standards when they sell their property's energy rights to oil and gas companies. American Banker editors discuss the foreclosure and even environmental problems that fracking can create for lenders, and how some banks are coping.
November 13 -
The smallest community banks are largely exempt from many new regulations, but their CEOs are still facing mounting compliance burdens and heightened concerns over competition with credit unions. American Banker Community Editor Paul Davis reports from his recent meeting with leaders of small banks.
November 8
