U.S. Bank

Commercial customers, including small businesses, seem ready to pay up to shift to faster, more sophisticated electronic invoicing and payments, and enterprising banks that provide them the technology to do so could find it lucrative.

The banks announced bonuses, wage hikes and charitable contributions resulting from the lower corporate tax rate enacted by Congress.

Some firms are investing in technology to help insurance clients shift to paperless payment processing.

Culture eats strategy for breakfast.

It’s only early December, but bank CEOs’ comments this week about tax reform, their thirst for deposits, consumer lending initiatives, and challenges in commercial lending offer a sneak peek at what’s coming when earnings season begins next month.

During an industry conference Tuesday, executives from PNC, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase and elsewhere offered differing takes on whether the Republican tax plan will boost loan demand.

The nomination of Jelena McWilliams to chair the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. moves the Trump administration one step closer to completing its team of regulatory appointments in its push to undo former President Obama's post-crisis policies.

One estimate says 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs will go unfilled by 2021. Banks are looking to military veterans, universities and even high schools to help fill the gap.

The House-passed tax bill would eliminate the New Markets Tax Credit while the Senate bill would not reauthorize it when it expires in two years. Bankers and other proponents say that if it is discontinued many economic development projects in rural and low-income communities won’t be funded.

It’s good to be a business lender with a long contact list. Loan growth is weak and the talent pool has been shrinking, so banks big and small are paying top dollar to get an edge.