Fintech

The deal for SimplyBank, scheduled to be completed in the second quarter, would give First Financial in Terre Haute, Indiana, additional branches in Tennessee and its first presence in Georgia.

But high costs and any downturn in the economy could weigh on lenders and their commercial borrowers in coming months, economists caution.

The technology, which has its roots in cryptocurrency, could make corporate transactions more flexible.

Singapore's third-largest lender is again banking on a blockbuster concert partnership to boost fee income, fresh on the heels of its success with Taylor Swift concert tickets.

Roy and Bertrand Sosa have retaken control of Netspend to combine it with their other firm, Rev Worldwide, to build the companies into an international financial services provider.

NatWest is updating its chatbot, Cora, to make engagement more conversational, and Amex is working with the Canadian fintech Nuvei to promote bank-transfer payments to U.K. merchants.

As U.S. credit card balances continue to march above $1 trillion, the number of newly delinquent credit card users now exceeds the pre-pandemic average and millennials and those with student or auto loans are driving the increase in past-due payments, the New York Fed said.

More banks are selling their underwater bond portfolios at a loss, crystallizing what were previously losses on paper only. Though the maneuver brings some short-term pain, the banks expect to make the money back over time.

Longtime customers of Capital One's online banking arm thought they were getting the best possible rate, according to a lawsuit. Little did they realize, they say, that they needed to open a new account in order to benefit from interest rate increases.

Many banks tapped the brakes on mergers and acquisitions this year amid economic and regulatory challenges. But executives at banks with a history of dealmaking say conditions could be right for them to return to buying mode next year.