Major U.S. banks shaved about $21 billion from their tax bills last year — almost double the IRS’s annual budget — as the industry benefited more than many others from the Republican tax overhaul.

The bank said it will hold back bonuses to its former CEO and others as it probes the 1MDB scandal; the House is looking into the bank’s loans to Trump's firm.

Banks spend heavily on marketing to win deposits, push digital; Wells Fargo bends to critics in its latest response to scandals; FDIC review of brokered deposits has big implications for branches; and more from this week's most-read stories.

The combination of their convenient branch networks and strong digital offerings makes large, national banks tough to beat in dispensing financial guidance, consumers say.

Wells says it's made progress but needs to do more to rebuild trust with customers and regulators; despite rate hikes by the Fed, big banks continue to effectively pay nothing in interest to savings customers.

The new leadership of the House Financial Services Committee appears intent on subjecting Wall Street to a harsher spotlight, but banks shouldn’t be too sure the new minority has their backs, either.

In a lengthy report released Wednesday, the bank pledged to protect whistleblowers, handle customer complaints better and re-examine its lending practices.

Banks use anti-money-laundering and fraud systems to try to catch scams that prey on senior citizens. A few, including Wells Fargo, are working on artificial intelligence that could spot them even earlier.

Many bankers say they’re more comfortable with using artificial intelligence behind the scenes, but others — including Synchrony and Wells Fargo — insist AI can be used to interact with customers if it’s deployed properly.

Wells Fargo has jettisoned a longtime strategy of growing its own leaders in favor of importing them as part of the effort to clean up its image.