Retail & Commercial

When Congress returns from its recess in 2026, a number of financial legislative issues will be teed up, including crypto market structure, deposit insurance and supervisory disputes.

New Jersey-based OceanFirst Financial slid in its planned $579 million acquisition of Flushing Financial just before the end of the year. The private equity firm Warburg Pincus is also participating in the transaction.

Credit unions hit new highs in membership, deposits and loans in 2025. But it was also a chaotic year for the industry's governing body, and the sector faced renewed attacks by banks.

The fintech IPO drought ended this year with several large public exits by firms such as Chime, Klarna and Circle.

There is a narrow window of opportunity for banks to position tokenized deposits as an alternative to stablecoins for customers seeking the convenience of cheap, blockchain-enabled payments.

It's not just Capital One Cafés; banks all over the country are repurposing branches and offices. Marketing experts call it innovative, but critics say some lenders are crossing a legal boundary between banking and commerce.

National ad campaigns are impressive. But few things create more goodwill or lasting impact than visible, hands-on support of a community's youth, no matter the size of the bank.

As commissioner of Virginia's Bureau of Financial Institutions since 1997, Joe Face emphasized strengthening the dual banking system.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will face an existential crisis in 2026 between the Trump administration's efforts to shut down the agency and the employee union and consumer advocates who want to stop them.

The bank regulator is proposing to strengthen national preemption in the wake of conflicting decisions in related court cases.