Retail & Commercial

Famous for his hand-typed "Guenther-gram" messages, the longtime Independent Community Bankers of America CEO played a critical role in boosting the trade group's political clout after it moved to Washington from Sauk Centre, Minnesota, in 1982.

Rising inventories and the specter of regulation may make it seem like the pandemic auto boom is over, but broader trends could make it a profitable business if banks do it right.

As the phony-accounts scandal is brewing in 2014, the executive who functions as the top cop inside Wells Fargo gets shown the door.

The $41.2 billion-asset Los Angeles bank says it will wind down its premium finance and multifamily lending segments and intentionally slow loan growth.

Indexes show heightened expectations for a recession and souring loans. But executives are upbeat about middle-market businesses and overall job growth.

The Rosemont, Illinois-based bank said its longtime CEO Ed Wehmer will retire from the post in May and become executive chairman. Timothy Crane, who joined Wintrust in 2008 and became its president in 2020, will take over the top job.

Banks need to be cautious about negotiating pre-merger Community Benefit Agreements with nationwide activist groups. The deals carry real reputational hazard.

Credit Acceptance Corp., a major name in subprime auto finance, is facing a legal challenge over its lending practices. Some lawyers and analysts say the company's battle with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has broader implications for the rest of the industry.

Uncertainty surrounding the regulatory approval process and overall economic conditions will act as a brake on bank mergers and acquisitions in 2023, says John Corbett, CEO of Florida-based SouthState.

Technology that was seen as best-in-class 10 years ago is practically table stakes for banks today and does not differentiate one bank from another. Branches do.