Retail & Commercial

Rohit Chopra, the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, described many charges by banks, credit unions and fintechs as "junk fees" and said they often exceed the cost of providing the service. Several trade groups called Chopra's claims "distorted and misleading."

Multifamily and specialty finance loans, which were highlights during the fourth quarter, should increase further in 2022, company executives said.

The North Carolina company will also eliminate nonsufficient-funds fees as it aims to keep pace with larger rivals, including Bank of America, that have revised their overdraft policies.

The expenses jumped 33% last quarter, which was generally in line with trends elsewhere in the credit card industry. The battle for new customers is “intense,” CEO Richard Fairbank told analysts.

Some are eliminating their charges for overdrawn accounts in response to recent reforms by big banks and the consumer-friendly practices of neobank rivals.

The Texas attorney general’s office is seeking more information on Citigroup’s gun policies as the bank stages a comeback in the state’s municipal-bond market after a GOP law upended its public-finance business there last year.

Affirm Holdings, known for its buy now/pay later options, beefed up its app as the firm works toward a crypto offering.

Goldsmith, the grandson of City National Bank’s co-founder, is set to retire as its chairman. In an interview, he betrayed no regrets about the company’s sale to Royal Bank of Canada, which was propelled by a similar logic about the need for scale that drives many deals today.

After regulators signaled their intention to crack down on banks that lean on the controversial charges, First National Bank Texas adopted a reform. A bank spokesperson said the move was unrelated to any pressure from Washington.

The Pennsylvania bank is working with the data provider Enigma and Capital One on a platform they are hoping other banks will use. The technology handles all aspects of the loans and provides data and analytics on borrowers.