Retail & Commercial

After taking incremental steps to bolster its wealth management business, the Rhode Island bank is preparing to roll out a broader strategy focused on high-net-worth clients.

The avoidance of one of the harsher economic scenarios is good news for banks, which are also contending with tighter profit margins and increasing competition for customers. But loan growth and credit quality could be at risk.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency also is offering more opportunities for public dialogue as stakeholders debate how fast the process should move forward.

The North Carolina bank, which has been facing pressure to curb spending, rolled out a plan that includes job cuts, the consolidation of businesses and lower technology spending. Analysts wonder whether it will soothe investor frustration over Truist's sagging stock price.

Overall rate locks dropped 1.5% on a month-to-month basis; the drop in purchase volume was higher at 1.9%, Black Knight said.

Merchants Bancorp says it will sell a total of four branches to two buyers and focus more on its core residential mortgage lending business. Banks of all sizes have been pruning branch networks in recent years.

Brokered deposits had nothing to do with this year's bank failures, and regulators shouldn't pretend otherwise.

The deal, approved by a federal judge on Friday, resolves claims alleging that former CEO Tim Sloan and other bank executives made misleading statements to investors, the media and Congress.

Merrimack Valley Credit Union is launching a disaster relief loan, William Daley will retire from Wells Fargo, New York Community Bancorp promotes Signorille-Browne to COO and more in the weekly banking news roundup.

Executives at the Columbus, Ohio-based regional bank were convinced by a presentation Veuu, the solution's developer, made earlier this year.