During the past year, many have hoped for action from Washington that would alleviate regulatory burden and stem the rapid pace of consolidation. But in the current political environment, that appears increasingly unlikely.

As the banking industry moves closer to adopting a faster payments system, bank executives have begun to think through the impact it will have on clients and banks themselves.

In mid-2015, several thousand banks registered for dot-bank domains. More than two years later, only a few hundred have converted.

The sexual harassment tsunami continues, with stories from Fidelity and France. The woman behind Capital One's new chatbot drew on her experience creating animated characters for Pixar. And Wells Fargo whistleblowers speak out.

Outsiders gained access to customer information at Southern National Bancorp of Virginia using a malicious email. Other financial institutions, meanwhile, are implementing policies in hopes of avoiding the same fate.

The disagreement is tied to Walnut Street, an entity formed in 2014 to move certain commercial loans out of the bank. Separately, the company is facing a civil money penalty from the FDIC tied to issues with a third-party payment processor.

Readers chime in on the idea of a state-backed bank to serve the cannabis industry, data-sharing between banks and fintechs, whether community banks can just focus on tech laggards, and more.

As use of smartphone apps begins to surpass online channels at some institutions, banks are facing pressure to offer clients more robust services.

Most of Sterling Bancorp's operations are in San Francisco and Los Angeles. The company plans to use some of the $93 million it will raise to expand in New York and Seattle.

Pat Hickman, CEO of Happy State Bank, wants his institution to remain viable in the face of stifling regulation. As for selling? That'll happen over his dead body, he says.

The regional bank’s first-year CEO is doing some expected things, like offering more products through digital channels, and making a few surprising moves, like inviting all credit card customers to switch to lower-rate loans.

The San Francisco firm is the latest U.S. lender to tighten credit standards amid concerns that consumers are shouldering too much debt.

Adding retirement accounts broadens the app's offerings to millennial clients.

Dinesh Chopra is online bank's first-ever chief strategy officer.

Fintechs should learn to value risk management — and the necessary bureaucracy that comes with it, bankers said this week in defending themselves again criticism that they are a pain in the neck to work with.

Endeavor Bank in San Diego aims to be the third new bank to open this year. There is hope that as many as eight new institutions could open in 2018.

The company has agreed to buy CBBC Bancorp. It also raised $63 million to pay for the deal and fund future growth.

Mobile banking, oddly enough, is redefining the role of call center agents as customers handle routine tasks on their smartphones and reach out for help with bigger-picture questions.

The heads of some of the largest U.S. banks are calling for a new security-focused mindset among executives, better forms of ID and collective action in the aftermath of the Equifax breach.

The companies' recently launched partnership furthers the argument that the banking and fintech industries might be better served working together rather than competing.