Retail & Commercial

Stifel Financial agreed to buy the fixed-income brokerage Vining Sparks and its affiliates, adding about $150 billion in annual trading volume and further bulking up its banking-advisory capabilities.

The Federal Reserve’s efforts to update supervision policy can result in institutions having the flexibility they need to compete with fintechs, according to Gov. Michelle Bowman.

In many cases, stopping fraud in the moment is costly — and any transactions a bank flags incorrectly could alienate its best customers, a Bangor Savings Bank executive said at American Banker's Card Forum.

Rather than targeting the masses, the founders of these neobanks are narrowing their focus to serve people who may benefit from specialized products and services. The latest example: Nerve, a banking app for musicians.

Traditional financial institutions face pressure to imitate fintechs that have brought many consumers into the mainstream. Yet cash must be a key part of efforts to expand access, since it's still crucial for many low-income families, the elderly, migrants and others.

Many banks are still making loans tied to the scandal-plagued benchmark despite years of preparation for its demise. The end of 2021 could prove hectic as bankers scramble to implement changes and explain them to commercial borrowers.

Failures and forced consolidation among smaller institutions could accelerate in 2022 and 2023 once the federal stimulus programs that have propped up the economy run their course, experts predict.

Mary Hines Droesch will oversee the strategy, design and management of lending and deposit products for retail and small-business customers of the bank.

The moves are part of a $30 billion pledge to advance racial equity that the megabank made following George Floyd's murder last year.

The proposal calls for a 20-year mortgage with Ginnie Mae and Treasury participation, but critics suggest that other measures would be more effective in bridging the gap in home equity.