What was true in the late 1700s, the 1970s and the 1980s is still true today: bank customers want to interact with real-life people when managing finances.

In a perfect world, better financial literacy — along with equipping bankers with ethical standards — would make the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau obsolete.

Wells Fargo's embrace of Near Field Communication technology is rapidly approaching at least one milestone — a customer experience that does not require a card to use an ATM or pay in a store.

Chemung Financial in Elmira, N.Y., is calling for a do-over less than two weeks after releasing its second-quarter results.

Quaint Oak Bancorp in Southampton, Pa., has bought the rights to a portfolio of personal and commercial insurance policies.

A handful of banks and fintech companies are letting bank customers connect via chat bots on platforms like Slack of Facebook messenger. Some say this is the next big thing, while others say the technology still has a ways to go.

A BB&T unit that finances power equipment has a new president.

The linchpin of the federal government's payday lending proposal is a credit-reporting system for small-dollar loans created by the private sector, but the kinds of companies that could create it haven't stepped forward.

Old National in Evansville, Ind., reported higher quarterly profit due to securities gains and loan growth tied to its purchase of Anchor BanCorp Wisconsin.

Changes in consumer behavior – including a growing distrust of financial advisers – are driving the rise of robo advisers, says Gauthier Vincent, a consultant with Deloitte.

While some institutions find it sensible to appoint chief operating officers to assist the CEO or as part of a succession plan, many others increasingly choose to go without a COO.

Monona State Bank in Wisconsin has agreed to buy MBC Bankshares in Middleton, Wis.

As chief operating officers see their roles altered through industry consolidation, they are also taking the lead of implementing banks' technological and strategic overhauls.

On top of running a bank’s day-to-day operations, chief operating officers particularly at smaller banks play the additional role of CEO-in-waiting.

Banco do Brasil, the largest bank by assets in South America, wants to make more of a name for itself in the United States. It expects a new online banking platform to help draw mainstream consumers, and says an expansion from South Florida into the Northeast is likely.

In an industry of more and more specialists, the chief operating officer is a jack-of-all-trades. But the title has different meanings for different banks. Some COOs help craft strategy, others just implement strategy. Some are CEOs-in-waiting, others stay in the background. We asked COOs about their role, M&A's effects on job security, and how they interact with CEOs.

In June, SourceMedia Research — an affiliate of American Banker — conducted a survey of 52 chief operating officers and other operations executives on a range of topics, including COOs' top priorities and what they think will be their future role. The data suggests COOs are concerned with regulatory trends and security threats and view themselves as change agents. Many aspire to one day become a CEO. Here are some data snapshots.

The private equity firm GTCR is interested in fintech companies looking to disrupt the status quo, so long as they have proved themselves and are paired with managers who have a long track record of success.

Provident Financial Services in Iselin, N.J., reported relatively flat quarterly results as lower fees offset loan growth.

Carver Bancorp in New York is dealing with a new set of challenges just months after being released from a longstanding enforcement order. The company’s woes highlight the challenges for banks with narrowly constrained business models.