Two new government reports suggest that U.S. consumers’ fortunes have improved since the start of the pandemic, with bankruptcies falling sharply and fewer people falling behind on bills. But it’s not clear how long the positive trends will sustain themselves as government relief efforts wind down and evictions and foreclosures resume.

With the Paycheck Protection Program likely winding down at the end of the month, many lenders are seeing heightened demand for the Small Business Administration’s 7(a) and 504 loans.

Kearny Bank in New Jersey and four other banks were struggling to manage escrow accounts where the rules vary widely between industries and states, so they teamed up on a tech solution.

The Texas company kept allowances steady, citing lingering concerns over the pandemic and commercial real estate. Yet it plans to open 25 offices in Dallas after a similar expansion in Houston drove asset and customer growth.

The regional bank has renovated an office tower in downtown Buffalo, N.Y., to house 1,000 technology professionals it's hiring, retrain workers, collaborate with fintechs and overhaul everything from mortgage lending to fighting debit card fraud.

Mike Butler will also become president of the de novo, which focuses on technology companies and venture capital firms.

The company’s retail banking and auto-lending businesses in the U.S. generated a larger share of overall profits in the first quarter, and Executive Chairman Ana Botín and other executives unveiled expansion plans for both units.

Mike Daniels has been president and CEO of Nicolet's bank since 2015.

The community banks join a growing list of banking companies closing locations as customer preferences shift to digital channels.

The Dallas company will pay nearly $54 million for a 49% stake in a lender that operates in 10 states.

The $56 million acquisition will extend Southern California Bancorp's footprint north of Los Angeles.

The Massachusetts community bank, which rebranded last summer, landed on affiliate marketing as one cost-effective way of attracting choice customers to its business checking and crypto banking capabilities.

The Senate Banking Committee chairman told an audience of community bankers that he supports legislation to close "chartering loopholes" for industrial loan companies and financial technology firms. He also pitched a plan to give all consumers a free digital wallet backed by the Federal Reserve.

Large banks like Chase, PNC and U.S. Bank were seen as having more resources to devote to customer relief and upgrade digital channels that consumers came to rely on, according to a J.D. Power survey.

The Missouri company announced the deal just five months after buying Seacoast Commerce in San Diego.

The proposed acquisition is the second deal in as two days to involve an Atlanta-based seller.

Bankers say the federal tax exemption for credit unions costs U.S. taxpayers $2 billion each year. But eliminating it would prevent the not-for-profit financial institutions from channeling their savings into higher rates and lower fees that stimulate commerce — and generate additional tax income.

The Illinois companies agreed to merge in a transaction that is expected to close later this year.

Citigroup could fetch as much as $6 billion from the sale of retail banking assets in 13 markets across the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and the Middle East as the lender forges ahead with plans to fine-tune its global branch network, people familiar with the plan said.

The company promoted Bob Fehlman to become its president and hired Jay Brogdon from Stephens Inc. to succeed Fehlman as chief financial officer.