Caroline Taylor, who recently ran Small Business Administration lending at Capital One, aims to expand her team at Regions, help steer borrowers into economic recovery and reach out to women and minority small-business owners who have been underserved.

The Alabama company is instead on the hunt for nonbank acquisition candidates as well as employees or clients it could lure away from regional banks that have announced merger deals recently, John Turner says.

Comerica, Citizens Financial and other companies are buying up securities, paying off high-cost borrowing and trying to develop specialty lending niches. But loan growth remains weak, and the likelihood of extreme volatility in deposits makes it hard to plan ahead.

Deposits are soaring while loan demand lags and mortgage-backed securities offer weak returns. So the Alabama company has parked loads of cash at the Fed in hopes the economy will pick up steam before profit margins suffer.

The bank will divvy up Owen's responsibilities among three other executives, including Kate Danella, who will become chief strategy and client experience officer.

The bank disclosed in a regulatory filing that it is in the process of responding to a civil subpoena from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It is the latest bank to come under regulatory scrutiny for the fees charged to consumers who overdraw their accounts.

Executives from a half-dozen major financial institutions avoided detailed commercial lending forecasts and gave a mixed outlook on consumer credit at an industry conference. And they called on Washington to pass an aid package targeted at the most troubled business sectors as soon as it can.

Many eateries that relied on outdoor dining to survive the pandemic could see revenues plummet as the weather turns cold.

Banks have managed to steer around trouble spots in energy, hotel and mall-related credits. But fears of further deterioration, an eviction wave or more job losses are keeping lenders circumspect.

Over the past year, the Alabama bank has been developing new tools that analyze survey responses, phone interactions and social media posts to identify opportunities to improve digital offerings.

The flood of liquidity that accompanied the pandemic recession isn’t likely to subside anytime soon. Banks will have to employ a mix of securities buying, hedging and other balance-sheet-management tricks to prop up margins longer than initially imagined.

U.S. Bank and Regions revamped their apps with accessibility in mind; JPMorgan Chase built a branch for customers who are deaf. Such efforts can help banks appeal to more customers in existing markets.

Barb Godin, the deputy chief risk officer and chief credit officer at the Birmingham, Ala., bank, is stepping down after a 45-year career in banking.

The Birmingham, Ala., company more than doubled its loan-loss provision from three months earlier and its chief financial officer said that more than half of its loans to oil and gas companies could eventually become criticized.

Deferral periods on scores of commercial loans will soon be ending, and many banks’ profits this year could turn on whether borrowers can resume making payments or will seek extensions.

Leaders of companies including Citizens, Comerica and Truist offered more upbeat assessments of loan demand and credit quality than they have in recent weeks. But others warned of weakness in key sectors such as energy and real estate, and said forbearance policies may be hiding potential pitfalls.

Often overlooked in narratives about essential workers, branch and call-center employees are responding to challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis. They’ve processed emergency-relief loans late into the night, coached customers unfamiliar with mobile banking and made house calls to elderly account holders.

Citizens, Regions and others say business investments initiated before the COVID-19 pandemic, including technology improvements and new consumer offerings, are on track.

Truist, Key, Fifth Third and PNC became the latest banks to restrict branch access to the drive-through window or appointment only.

The biggest bank in the U.S. will temporarily close 20% of its branches, following recommendations by health experts. It said it would also operate its remaining branches at reduced hours.