Citizens Bank

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.

Introducing limits on federally guaranteed loans to graduate students, instead of letting them borrow whatever schools charge, would create a multibillion-dollar opportunity for private lenders.