Banking

Banks can and should play a key role in giving members of minority groups and other underserved communities the tools they need to navigate an increasingly complicated financial landscape.

JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, U.S. Bank and Citi had more than $1 billion in combined first-mortgage loans as of Sept. 30.

Fintech lenders often get criticized for high rates or fees on their consumer lending. But there's an argument to be made that the alternatives are worse.

The custody bank achieved its goal for the amount of deposits it placed into minority banks and community development financial institutions by the end of the year.

The U.S. is risking the status of the dollar as the world's reserve currency by delaying the launch of a central bank digital currency. Adopting a "federated" version of a CBDC could answer the concerns of many skeptics.

Hanscom Federal Credit Union in Massachusetts said it would acquire Peoples Bancorp and its insurance agency. It marked the 21st deal of the year involving a credit union buying a bank.

The proposal has similar elements to Republican-led legislation, including a piece of a measure from Vice President-elect JD Vance.

With default levels drifting higher, some program participants are calling on the incoming Trump team to rethink the Small Business Administration's approach to underwriting.

While the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau seeks to cap overdraft fees, banks and credit unions are fighting the effort. Nuances that don't fit either side's narrative can get lost in the rhetoric.

The Louisiana-based bank reduced its dividend to a penny, the second reduction it has made this year as it tries to bring down expenses and generate more capital.

Bank trade groups filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to stop the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's $5 overdraft fee rule from going into effect late next year.

The integration of artificial intelligence into financial services demands a human-centered approach. This is both a moral obligation and a strategic necessity.

The Pennsylvania-based buyer said it would pick up nearly $350 million of assets and a commercial-focused loan portfolio as part of the $54.6 million deal.

For the third time in five years, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued an enforcement action against the beleaguered bank. It bars USAA from adding new products or loosening its membership criteria without evaluating the risks of getting bigger.

The Federal Reserve and OCC approved the company's plan to buy Independent Bank Group in Texas, putting the deal on track to close early next year as expected. In an atmosphere of M&A delays for banks, the deal is on a relatively smooth path.

As the Biden administration comes to a close, the agency called out "bait-and-switch tactics" by card issuers. It also announced a new tool allowing consumers to comparison shop for credit cards.

This year, American Banker reporters dove deep into topics such as gambling addiction, Citigroup's rebuild, the Small Business Administration, fraud and monetary policy for its feature articles. Check out the most consequential articles of the year.

When combined, the top five states have roughly 23.9 million households classified as unbanked according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

We've seen what can happen when BaaS providers fail to adequately protect consumers. Across the industry, we need to institutionalize the principles of safe banking, both inside and outside of traditional banks.

New bureau research digs into the fees that bettors get charged when they use credit cards to fund gambling accounts.