Once seen as a sleepy corner of the financial services industry, asset servicing has become increasingly important for banks as artificial intelligence, blockchains and a generational transfer of wealth alter the landscape.

Ida Liu, who resigned from Citi earlier this year, will join HSBC on Jan. 5 as the CEO of the private bank. Liu will be tasked with accelerating the growth of the private bank "at a defining moment for wealth," she said in a LinkedIn post.

Here are the 10 stories our readers paid the most attention to in a year of political, economic and technological change.

American Banker's 2025 Small Business Banking conference yielded lessons about the need for speed, simplicity and safety in small-business lending. Other key takeaways included the significance of digital payment options and the importance of continuing to process SBA loan requests during the government shutdown.

Brian McEvoy, chief retail banking officer at Webster Five in Central Massachusetts, says community banks are in a unique position to serve more small businesses. He was a speaker Tuesday at American Banker's 2025 Small Business Banking conference.

In an environment of persistent economic unease, banks have a unique opportunity to help small businesses, Sekou Kaalund, U.S. Bank's head of branch and small business banking, said at American Banker's 2025 Small Business Banking conference.

The 23rd annual dinner honored bankers and finance leaders at the top of the industry.

Meghan Shue of Wilmington Trust sits down with Mary Ellen Egan of American Banker to discuss her business and what she's telling clients now.

Aiyengar discusses the dynamics of today's market and the challenges and opportunities of her role.

Solita Marcelli of UBS discusses wealth management's future, leadership, and why risk management is the heart of the industry.

Oden, the U.S. Head of International Wealth and Private Banking at HSBC, details what her clients are asking about today.

Our annual list of the 25 top leaders in finance include three newcomers this year.

Duckett, who's on a mission to help Americans save for retirement, said that "guaranteed income isn't a luxury, it's a necessity."

A longtime focus on alternative investments positioned this asset-management heir to benefit from the recent surge of consumer interest in crypto and a relaxed regulatory regime.

With a shift toward financial-planning advice and banking, the brokerage-house leader hopes to grow her firm faster.

Marrs runs Amex's second largest business by revenue and card member spending.

Despite being in the industry for 25 years, Marcelli still wakes up in the middle of the night to jot down ideas.

Milrod, a champion of innovation, has strengthened State Street's position in the digital assets space, including securing three of the 11 Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs launched this year.

Fogarty, who was promoted to chief operating officer of investment services in July, leads the firm's largest business unit.

The imperative is to keep one eye on the business, and the other eye on talent. The former is fed by the latter.