Retail & Commercial

Bank of America Corp. hit a milestone in its years-long effort to get costs under control.

Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting took office only late last year, but he is wasting little time in tackling a series of hot-button topics, including easing anti-money laundering regulations and lowering national bank fees.

The bank revealed Friday that it is facing hefty regulatory penalties and will likely have to restate first-quarter earnings. Declines in loan balances and fee income and questions about upcoming stress tests are only adding to investors' worries.

Bankers hoped the tax overhaul would stimulate a boom in business borrowing, but several said this week that hasn’t happened yet. PNC’s Bill Demchak warned that the tax cuts could be encouraging lenders to underprice loans.

The bank, which already offers mortgages through seven offices across North Carolina, is the fourth group to announce plans for a de novo in the state.

BofA, Citi and Union Bank map out next moves in branching; MB Financial and Regions exit business lines; a dramatic reduction in regulatory actions under Trump; and more from this week's most-read stories.

Banks should rethink even existing services, such as the branch experience, said top executives at the Oracle Industry Connect conference.

A 28% increase in lease assets helped offset stagnant growth in traditional auto lending.

Amber Baldet is exiting JPMorgan Chase to start her own venture, and another female executive is taking charge of the blockchain effort. BofA makes major progress on digital mortgages and gets gun-shy after Parkland. Plus, GM’s one-sentence dress code.

Banks have been hanging on to problem loans for various reasons, but that could create headaches when credit inevitably worsens.