Retail & Commercial

With National Small Business Week set to kick off April 30, American Banker asked several community bankers to share stories of high-impact loans that made a difference in their communities and in their own enthusiasm for the work they do.

All six credit unions will utilize Fiserv’s DNA core platform, extending contracts with the technology provider that go on for more than 20 years.

The Ohio company said it is retaining more FirstMerit deposit accounts than it had projected. At the same time, Huntington is moving forward with cost-cutting tied to the acquisition.

Double-digit growth in earning assets more than offset higher expenses and a decline in the net interest margin.

The Minneapolis company reported higher quarterly earnings thanks to strong performance in credit cards, investment management and other fee-based business lines.

The Mississippi company reported loan growth but a dip in profits after a first-quarter acquisition, and it warned that it is on alert for any new “lag” in the energy sector.

Loan growth and increased fee income helped offset slightly higher expenses in the first quarter.

Lawmakers from both political parties are increasingly interested in forcing lenders that offer loans to upgrade home heating and cooling systems to issue better disclosures, a prospect that has some in the industry nervous.

The hand-wringing over business lending has overshadowed the fact that consumer lending — particularly for regional banks — has become a strong and steady engine of growth.

Bank of America's year-over-year loan growth was slow, but parts of its commercial and U.S. consumer businesses were strong, prompting optimism from the CEO in the face of lackluster numbers across banking so far this earnings season.