Citizens Bank

An executive at the Rhode Island company said the complexity of business lending remains an obstacle to switching to entirely automated, paperless operations.

One bank is tracking the habits of its 4.4 million customers, giving them discounts on services if they visit the gym or get a flu shot. Other companies may soon follow suit.

Time and again, two former associates of President Trump deceived banks in connection with loan applications. Their wealth, proximity to power and willingness to tell big lies all appear to have helped them get away with brazen schemes.

SigFig is partnering with Citizens Bank to launch an advice platform in its effort to become a direct competitor to legacy core systems providers.

The Providence, R.I., company reported a 27% gain in profits thanks partly to a boost in fee income from its purchase of Franklin American Mortgage in August.

The data strategy at Citizens Bank takes "know your customer" to another level, as Chief Marketing Officer Beth Johnson explains.

Hamlin caught the attention of the bank's senior leaders when she oversaw the successful launch of a checking product. Now she sits at the center of every major marketing initiative.

At Beth Johnson's insistence, the bank built an analytics platform that can anticipate customers' needs. It's an investment that is paying off in big ways.

Beth Johnson, who has risen over three decades to become chief marketing officer and head of virtual channels at Citizens Bank, has advanced by looking for opportunities rather than maintaining a fixed idea of where to go.

Several hard realities, including legacy technology and the pace of change in software and apps, leave firms vulnerable to outages that stir public outcry.

In an investor-backed power play, the robo tech firm wants banks to turn to it instead of traditional core software providers as they upgrade to digital-banking-friendly technology.

SigFig was among an early crop of digital advice firms that shifted their focus to serving wealth managers and banks. It has raised more than $100 million from a variety of investors.

Citizens Financial Group is partnering with IBM to develop a virtual career coach that will use artificial intelligence to help employees set career goals and determine what kind of training they need to develop new skills.

An inquiry into the sales practices of more than 40 banks launched in the wake of the Wells scandal found several systemic issues and hundreds of problems at individual institutions. The OCC completed the review in December but is not making the results public.

The Providence, R.I., company said that Citizens Access will open for business nationwide next quarter.

Citizens Financial Group plans to merge its two banking charters into a single national bank. The move would make the OCC the bank's primary regulator and eliminate the costs of dealing with the FDIC and state officials.

One problem is that banks are shifting to online and mobile channels for delivering advice, which is inferior to in-person communications, according to a recent survey conducted by J.D. Power.

Look for banks to boost dividend payouts, expand into new markets, increase their tech spending and, eventually, ramp up their C&I lending. But don't expect much in the way of M&A.

Capital One became the latest bank to feel customers' online wrath last week after reports that some customers were being charged twice for debit card activity. But it was hardly alone.

Dueling blockchain stories — one arguing it was virtually useless, the other saying it could change real estate lending — seized the top spots this week, while readers also focused on tax reform aftermath and a key Senate retirement.