Retail & Commercial

Seeking to diversify following its public offering in May, EverBank Financial (EVER) in Jacksonville, Fla., announced Monday that it is buying a commercial lending unit from GE Capital for $2.5 billion in cash.

Historically low interest rates and weak loan demand have masked the long-term profit potential of core deposits. When (not if) the cycle turns, community banks' earnings power will reappear.

In a slow stretch for issuance of bank shares, companies looking to raise capital for acquisitions have come to the fore in offerings that have performed relatively well.

The effective tax rate for banks has dropped to a range of roughly 30% to 32%, down from a range of roughly 32% to 33% in the years leading up to the recession. Recoveries of deferred tax assets might be the reason.

New intel from the research arm of American Banker examines how the channels banks use to communicate with customers are changing.

Hit by thin client performance issues, Washington Trust deployed new software to streamline the storage process during a systems migration.

Even a mobile and web heavy financial institution can benefit from brick and mortar. USAA is using touchscreens and videoconferencing to provide advanced advice and help lightly staffed stores.

Fiserv's Daniel Steere says it takes a strong mobile banking strategy, alerts and real time information to win over 18 to 32 years olds.

American Express plans to begin issuing secure chip cards in the U.S. this year, and it has released a timeline for merchants to follow in accepting those cards. Like every other network's roadmap, Amex sticks closely to the plan Visa announced last August.

Upheaval in funding markets has radically reshaped the liability profile of foreign bank operations in the United States, but they have continued to increase lending despite an exodus of deposits that began in the middle of last year.