While most banks are shrinking their branch networks, the Cincinnati bank is approaching the day where its branch expansion in the Southeast will more than offset closings in its legacy markets, its CEO says.

Eric Smith and Michael Morton have been brought on as vice chairs to help build out the Chicago bank's commercial lending arm.

The payments company has loaned $5.5 billion to 275,000 small businesses, thanks to a data-driven process free from human interaction.

The online lender said it applied insights from its partnership with Fifth Third Bancorp in developing a new digital platform it’s marketing to other large financial services companies.

Amid concern that an economic downturn is approaching, Greg Carmichael said that banks need to focus on credit quality and not worry about expanding their balance sheets.

Jelena McWilliams knows the value of the FDIC’s role in a way most other Americans do not. Now she's in charge as it grapples with difficult questions and sets out to reshape the industry.

"You can get a lot done if you don't care who gets the credit," Stevens is fond of saying. Judging by the pace of innovation at the $169 billion-asset Fifth Third, that team-first message is clearly resonating.

The Pittsburgh company is not interested in bank acquisitions, CEO Demchak says; why Citi, Wells, JPMorgan are seeing a spike in API calls; FHFA's Mark Calabria details next steps on GSE reform; and more from this week's most-read stories.

The Cincinnati bank applied in May to convert its Ohio state charter amid an expansion into Texas and Colorado and the completion of its merger with MB Financial.

It hasn't stimulated loan demand in ways banks hoped it might, and some CEOs fear future rate cuts might cause companies to hunker down.