Data Sets

The future of retail banking, the quest for profitable growth and regulators' continued stumbles were among the topics that drew the most reader interest in the first half of 2013. Following are the ten most popular stories on AmericanBanker.com in the year through June, as measured by the number of page views.

A selection of images featuring credit unions’ efforts in their communities.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. As excerpted from the Comments sections of AmericanBanker.com articles.

It's been an eventful year so far in the payments industry. Exciting new technologies, dramatic executive turnover and ongoing courtroom drama have defined 2013's first six months.

Banks have managed to sustain profit growth in recent quarters despite weak loan demand by refinancing large numbers of home loans and reducing loan-loss reserves. But those opportunities appear to be fading, which his raising concern about what will drive profits in the near term. Here's a look at what to expect for second-quarter results.

The most notable quotes from American Banker stories of the previous week. Readers are encouraged to add their own observations in the Comments fields at the bottom of each slide.

A handful of banks dominate the Top 5 performers in survey questions about the key components of reputation. The annual American Banker/Reputation Institute Survey of Bank Reputations drills into customers' and noncustomers' feelings about each bank's record on governance, products, workplace environment, innovation, financial performance, corporate citizenship and leadership.

Attorney General Eric Holder ruffled feathers in March when he indicated during Capitol Hill testimony that some financial institutions are "too big to jail." Holder later tried to backtrack amid a fierce public outcry. The controversy comes on the heels of claims by some critics that the DOJ and Obama administration have given the politically well-connected banking industry an undeserved free pass in the wake of the financial crisis. As the following examples illustrate, however, the government has acted aggressively in some cases to bring senior bankers to justice-senior bankers at small institutions, that is.

A selection of images featuring credit unions’ efforts in their communities.

The typical online and in-store checkout puts all payment options on equal footing. A few payment methods cut part or all of the checkout — and potentially cut off other payment options in the process.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. As excerpted from the Comments sections of AmericanBanker.com articles.

Several foreign-owned banks have been looking to expand in the United States, including Chile's BCI and Canada's TD Bank. Here's a look at foreign-owned banks that have an eye on U.S. expansion.

A picture is worth a thousand words - even in financial services. In the wake of the success banks have had offering mobile check deposit, banks and startups are finding reasons to allow people to submit other types of images through mobile apps. Here are five companies that are encouraging customers to snap that receipt, financial narrative or bill. The art helps customers do banking tasks quicker; the companies get their claws into more customer data.

The most notable quotes from American Banker stories of the previous week. Readers are encouraged to add their own observations in the Comments fields at the bottom of each slide.

Bank M&A activity has been slow this year outside of an occasional spurt, and the deals have been relatively modest. Stubborn sellers, strict regulators and renewed stock market volatility are among the obstacles.

A selection of images featuring credit unions’ efforts in their communities.

Square has completed a major overhaul of the cloud-based Square Wallet, which allows consumers to make purchases from a linked payment card by "checking in" at a Square merchant. Here are some of the key differences in the new Wallet app.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. As excerpted from the Comments sections of AmericanBanker.com articles.

Bankers, nonprofit executives and others recently gathered to discuss how best to provide financial services to low-income and other underserved customers. Here is some of their advice about how to charge for prepaid cards and other products, how to create new ones and how to cope with increased regulatory scrutiny.

One of the most prominent trends in retail banking today is the shift toward branch employees who are jacks of all trades. With an eye toward cutting costs and improving efficiency, more and more banks are asking their staff to perform a wider range of tasks, including making sales calls, rather than specializing as tellers or personal bankers. What follow are tips on how to move to the so-called universal staffing model from people who've been through the process.