Heading into the year, U.S. banks were facing pressure to pay higher rates to their depositors. But they could not have anticipated just how important deposits would soon become.

Executives at America's largest banks are making rosier predictions about the financial health of U.S. households than they were a year ago, when their forecasts proved to be overly pessimistic.

Overall merger-and-acquisition activity proved modest across the banking sector, but several prominent deals were reached. Read on for details of the year's biggest transactions.

EWA programs are not loans, no matter how loudly critics insist that they are. They provide a vital source of liquidity to hardworking families.

Banks cannot shrug off the impact of sudden account closures as inevitable collateral damage involved in fighting money laundering.

The deadline for a $28 million deal between Bancorp 34 and CBOA Financial was pushed later into 2024 after Bancorp 34, the buyer, announced it would restate third-quarter results to reflect a significant loss tied to a worsening commercial real estate credit.

Michelle Moore, Tim Spence, Ankit Bhatt, Patrick Sells, Dontá Wilson and Allan Rayson have moved up, moved on or tackled new technology projects since they were recognized by American Banker for their leadership in innovation in recent years.

Here is a highlight of 10 great American Banker Magazine features from the year. Topics range from redlining to the Most Influential Women in Fintech.