Data Sets

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.

The KBW Bank Index, a group ranging in size from JPMorgan Chase to the $21 billion-asset Commerce Bancshares, rocketed back in 2012, outperforming the S&P 500 Index and recovering much of the ground it lost the year before. The momentum came mostly from names like B of A and Citi, whose shares snapped back after steep losses the year before.

BankThink editors Marc Hochstein and Jeanine Skowronski recap 10 of the blog's posts they found most memorable in 2012.

The worst performing bank stocks of the year didn't do all that bad. Over a six-year horizon, almost all of them have maintained their value well relative to the KBW Bank Index, a group ranging in size from JPMorgan Chase to the $21 billion-asset Commerce Bancshares. But consistent earnings and stable share prices were not enough in a 2012 where momentum came from names that snapped back after steep losses the year before.

Loan volume built on the turnaround that began in 2011. Business borrowing continued to lead the way, though momentum appeared to weaken as the year wore on. Meanwhile, other major loan categories notched gains for the first time in years, and mortgage production delivered large profits.

We revisit some of the best comments readers posted to AmericanBanker.com and BankThink.com in 2012.

2012 began with the abrupt departure of PayPal's president. Upon putting a new leader in place, the eBay unit made many key moves to adapt its operations and its product line to the fast-changing payments market.

A look back at the most-read technology stories in American Banker and Bank Technology News.

From exposes of questionable practices at megabanks to incursions onto bank turf by nontraditional players, these are American Banker's most popular stories of 2012.

These financial services executives won't be sorry to see this year end and are hoping for better results in 2013.

ATMs do a lot more now than they did in 2011. They still accept deposits and dispense cash, but today a few also dispense prepaid cards, connect to Facebook, and interact with smartphones. Other types of machines are also treading on ATMs' turf.

The presidential election dominated Washington this year, but other issues also sparked controversy, including pending Basel III rules, Sheila Bair's book, and an FDIC attempt to redefine community banks. Following are the most read stories in Reg and Reform this past year, counting down from #10 to #1.

The payments industry is no stranger to fraud, but there are some key events that stand out over the course of 2012 — and threaten to spill into 2013.

Banking was a tough business to thrive in over the past year. These ten executives stood out for savvy moves that enabled their companies to beat the odds.

Start the New Year right, with new ways to think about widening your bank's customer base, lowering your legal costs, mentoring your executives, maximizing tech investments and more.

It's been a rocky year for digital currencies. Facebook began phasing out its Facebook Credits while Bitcoin continues to suffer a bad reputation. However, there are some promising developments on the horizon, with experienced payments providers joining in the digital currency game.

The Google Wallet we see today is a much different product from what we had a year ago. Here are the major changes that took place this year, and the challenges Google faced — and still faces today.

The latter half of 2012 saw several startups, tech companies and alternative financial services providers make headlines, a trend we at BankThink expect to pick up steam as regulation leaves traditional financial institutions less inclined to innovate. Here are eight nonbanks that could become major competitors in the industry over the next year.

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.