Corporate governance

For decades lawmakers have ignored broad structural flaws in the National Flood Insurance Program, which underpins millions of home mortgages. And the problem is only getting worse.

The company has been experimenting with ways to recruit more women and minorities, including a program to hire professionals who had left banking. But CEO Charlie Scharf’s reference to “a very limited pool of Black talent” for important jobs may make it harder for Wells to meet inclusion goals.

A pending combination with Animas Credit Union will broaden the Albuquerque-based institution's reach in northern New Mexico.

The Connecticut company will receive $120 million in cash from AssuredPartners for People's United Insurance Agency.

Jane Fraser, who is poised to become the first woman to lead a major U.S. bank, possesses turnaround experience and strong interpersonal skills that make her well suited for mending fences with regulators and investors, according to present and former colleagues.

Lenders should be subjected to tough reviews of their readiness for economic threats posed by severe weather, required to disclose risks lurking in their portfolios and perhaps forced to set aside extra capital, a government study recently recommended.

The competition has leading-edge technology, but consumers may be looking for more than just bells and whistles when choosing where to do their banking.

The San Diego bank first considered finding a buyer two years ago and had offers in early 2019. The price of the deal it finally reached in the throes of the pandemic was much lower than some earlier offers.

Deal activity, already on pace for its slowest year in more than two decades, will likely remain suppressed until bankers get a handle on credit exposure and more clarity on valuations.

Several companies said this week they’re slashing expenses as the economy limps along. Others would prefer to keep investing in new technologies and hold off on moves like branch closings to better gauge which changes in consumer behavior will stick.