Retail & Commercial

David Felan was most recently an executive vice president at Texas Capital Bancshares. In his new role, he will oversee the Kansas bank's expansion in the Lone Star State's hottest markets.

Following the recent resignations of the San Francisco bank’s co-CEO and chief operating officer, executives sought to project stability during an earnings call Friday. Employee morale is strong, and finding a leader who’s the right fit is more important than filling the job quickly, they said.

Shares fell sharply Friday after the company said spending increased 14% in the fourth quarter and will climb by another 8% in 2022. But CEO Jamie Dimon said the investments in marketing, technology and talent are necessary to ward off threats from traditional banks and upstart fintechs.

Under an agreement with 40 state attorneys general, the student lender and servicer agreed to cancel debt for over 66,000 borrowers and pay restitution to another 350,000 borrowers placed in certain types of forbearance.

The company sold small businesses a credit-building product that fell short of its promises, and also failed to help them fix inaccuracies in their credit reports, according to the Federal Trade Commission. D&B has agreed to give refunds to many customers.

Challenger banks like Chime and Dave have been helping customers avoid overdraft fees for years. As traditional banks start to do the same, the fintechs say they still offer consumers a better deal.

Business inventories, a key indicator of potential loan demand, are expected to swing upward this year as supply chain bottlenecks finally crack open, according to a panel of economists.

OneUnited's new installment-loan product is meant to break customers out of a cycle of debt. It will compete with similar offerings from heavyweights like Wells Fargo, Bank of America and Huntington.

The branches will provide services in clients’ preferred languages and employ local residents. Executives say the strategy will help M&T pull in new customers at a time when nonwhite populations are expanding.

Though the dining sector has been hit hard by COVID-19, restaurateurs have pivoted to drive-thru and curbside options, and rising grocery prices are making eating out comparatively less pricey.