John Watt, 65, will step down in May after more than seven years as president and CEO of NBT Bancorp in Norwich, New York. The plethora of internal candidates to succeed him made the decision a no-brainer, Watt says.

After California was hit hard by the banking crisis of 2023, tens of thousands of commercial and consumer customers turned to East West, helping the company achieve record full-year revenue, its CEO says.

The credit card issuer said it's "cautiously optimistic" about its borrowers' financial health, with charge-offs expected to rise not much further than pre-pandemic levels. The upbeat outlook contrasts with a key competitor's guidance of significantly higher losses.

The Indiana bank is "on offense by continuing to invest in new client-facing and key support talent and being ready and opportunistic for acquisitions," CEO Jim Ryan says.

Plaintiffs' lawyers are targeting various companies in connection with a California law that ensures customers can air grievances publicly without the threat of retribution. BofA and U.S. Bank say the suits against them are meritless.

Mike Abbott, global banking lead at Accenture, shared where he sees banks using the technology most effectively in the year ahead.

The top five banks and thrifts have combined total assets of nearly $13 trillion as of September 30, 2023.

January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and the financial services industry should take the opportunity to step up for survivors.

The expansion program, entering its sixth year, gives the Cincinnati-based company a regional profile few of its competitors can match, CEO Tim Spence said on a conference call with analysts.

Investors drove up the stock prices of both companies after Ally Financial said it's selling its point-of-sale lending business to Synchrony Financial. The deal is expected to help Ally focus on its bread-and-butter auto lending business, while also aiding Synchrony's efforts to gain market share.