The more employees who can confidently tell their bank's story, the better positioned a bank will be to build relationships and earn business.

Lenders had started tightening as early as the fourth quarter in anticipation of a possible recession. Now, the banking crisis is driving community and regional banks in particular to hit the brakes harder, stoking renewed recessions fears.

Diversity, equity and inclusion has only grown in importance to the financial services industry over the last few years. For that reason, DEI philosophies are becoming a bigger concern as buyers and sellers try to determine how their corporate cultures might mesh.

A researcher tested the prediction that banks will step in when payday lenders face restrictions. They didn't want his business.

The banks invested in bonds at a time when rates were low, and their value has since dropped substantially. While there appears to be very little risk that the banks will ever have to realize the losses, an American Banker data analysis raises questions about whether regulators should toughen their monitoring of interest rate risk.

Investors have bought a one-branch bank in Elmore City, Oklahoma (the town that inspired "Footloose"), renamed it Old Glory Bank and plan an all-digital brand that emphasizes patriotism. Experts question whether Old Glory is offering a solution to a nonexistent problem.

A few years ago, banks and credit unions were veering away from drive-up service in their new branches. And then the pandemic hit.

A reasonable approach to comprehensive credit risk management can protect banks against the impact of a recession while ensuring the industry doesn't contribute to any potential economic volatility.

Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser said mobile apps and consumers' ability to move millions of dollars with a few clicks of a button mark a sea change for how bankers manage and regulators respond to the risk of depositor panics.

The North Carolina bank's venture capital arm has recently taken stakes in two early-stage companies, including one aimed at helping independent pharmacists, after cashing out on two others last year.

The combined bank would have more than $8 billion of assets. The acquisition counters a trend of slowed merger activity amid regulatory pressure and an ongoing banking industry crisis.

American Banker is now accepting applications for the Best Banks to Work For 2023 ranking.The registration deadline is May 12.

Carrie Tolstedt, the former head of retail banking at the scandal-plagued bank, faces 16 months in prison after agreeing to plead guilty to obstructing a bank examination. The plea agreement serves as a warning to senior bank executives who regularly provide information to regulators.

"Florida will not side with economic central planners; we will not adopt policies that threaten personal economic freedom and security," said Gov. Ron DeSantis.

On top of recession fears and elevated regulatory scrutiny, worry about the banking industry's weakness could delay the approval of mergers such as Toronto-Dominion Bank's pending acquisition of First Horizon.

The company agreed to pay $27.2 million in restitution to shareholders and revised its 2022 earnings to show a steep loss. The plea agreement with the Department of Justice was tied to Sterling's now defunct low-documentation mortgage program.

Advocacy groups want the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to downgrade the Community Reinvestment Act rating of FinWise Bank, which partners with nonbanks to offer high-cost consumer loans. The FDIC downgraded the rating of a second Utah-based bank following a similar campaign by consumer organizations.

Tolstedt, a key figure in the bank's fake-accounts scandal, could face prison time after pleading guilty to a criminal charge of obstructing a bank examination. She also agreed to pay a $17 million fine to bank regulators to resolve certain civil charges.