The Fed's meteoric increase in the federal funds rate over the last 18 months has left banks holding billions in unproductive investment securities. Helping them would be good for the economy.

First Citizens extends its brand to CIT business lines, Discover launches TV campaign for debit account, Southern Michigan Bancorp announces leadership transition and more in the weekly banking news roundup.

If the industry keeps consolidating at its current rate, there will be roughly 500 banks in 20 years. That will likely mean the loss of competition and choice for customers in some markets.

Following the end of a long moratorium for federal student loan borrowers, monthly payments are expected to total $18 billion. Much of that money will come from checking and savings accounts, which will put more pressure on banks' deposit bases.

The financial landscape is currently riddled with warning signs that point toward potential liquidity issues for banks.

Chubb's Banks and the Digital Wallet Race: The Embedded Insurance Strategy looks to gauge how fintechs and banks view embedded insurance.

The world's biggest credit union will become the provider of banking services for U.S. armed forces members abroad, stepping into a void left by Bank of America. One credit union trade group is concerned that a potential deposit insurance snafu could threaten the program's viability.

During a speech at a community banking research conference, the Federal Reserve Board governor emphasized the importance of an "evidence-based approach" to regulatory policy.

The Detroit-based firm said the job cuts will occur across divisions and aren't isolated to a single line of business.

Activist investor Abbott Cooper, who has been locked in a battle with management at AmeriServ Financial for more than a year, plans to nominate former Amalgamated Financial head Keith Mestrich in a bid to end the impasse.

U.S. Bancorp and Truist picked literal names for their virtual assistants to avoid confusing customers, while Fifth Third and Regions created characters called "Jeanie" and "Reggie" to put clients at ease. Other companies are trying to split the difference.

The $23 million deal, signed in 2021 and initially projected to close in the second quarter of 2022, was delayed multiple times amid leadership turnover at the Los Angeles-based RBB.

German financial watchdog BaFin has appointed an independent monitor to oversee Deutsche Bank's progress in resolving issues at its consumer unit. It's the second time BaFin has taken the unusual step since Christian Sewing became CEO in 2018.

Making the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's funding subject to congressional appropriations would bring some much-needed accountability to a runaway regulator.

In September's roundup of top banking news: Truist Financial promises to cut costs by roughly $750 million; former Wells Fargo exec Carrie Tolstedt is sentenced to three years probation; and more.

MidWestOne will reinvest proceeds of branch sales into Denver Bankshares; promotions are afoot in JPMorgan's investment banking unit; Bethpage Federal Credit Union expands into Queens and New Jersey; and more in the weekly banking news roundup.

The combination of inflation and rising interest rates over the last 18 months has made it more difficult for Americans to stay on top of their loan payments, especially on credit cards and auto loans.

A proposed settlement between the Philadelphia-based community bank and an activist investor group that has waged a nearly two-year battle for control also calls for overhauling the board of directors.

Two months after the mysterious failure of the Heartland Tri-State Bank in Elkhart, Kansas, a news article sheds light on its downfall. CEO Shan Hanes was involved in a cryptocurrency hoax involving a $12 million wire payment, according to the Bloomberg Businessweek report.

Lisa Rickert and Ruth McCord, who manage branches for Nicolet National Bank, share a passion for connecting with their customers and supporting their communities.