Finance

Business owners have shown little interest in taking on debt during the pandemic. Will their attitudes change as the economy improves?

Loan growth and wealth management revenue drove a 53% increase in the San Francisco bank's profit from a year earlier.

Net income was boosted by a $1.6 billion release of loan-loss reserves.

Fees from investment banking and larger-than-expected reserve releases more than offset a sharp drop in loan volume.

The San Francisco company has now backed 11 minority-owned banks as part of a $50 million pledge it announced last year.

The Michigan-based institution has positioned itself for additional growth by making it easier to qualify for membership.

The Mississippi company has never done a deal this large. But buying Houston-based Cadence would take it into high-growth markets and reduce both companies' concentrations in sectors such as energy, dining and hospitality.

The agency has stepped up efforts to encourage those lacking banking relationships to choose an affordable account option for their pandemic relief funds. It will have to overcome distrust of financial institutions in communities of color.

Valley National wanted to become more customer friendly, while Washington Federal needed more commercial clients. The leaders of those companies recently discussed the tough decisions they made to bring about much-needed change.

Too many Americans lack a sound grounding in personal financial management, which limits their opportunity to build long-term financial independence.