Banking

The secretive world of private credit is increasingly being funded by public money, and there will be no FDIC there to bail us out when things go bad.

The former U.S. vice president turned climate crusader says Big Oil and the banks backing it still have huge financial incentives to stick with fossil fuels, even though their decision to do so is the leading cause of the climate crisis.

Fraser has a plan to reduce the number of management layers at Citi, shrink its workforce, speed up decision-making and give herself more control of the bank's five core businesses. "It's going to make some of our people very uncomfortable," she said.

The five-year deal puts Citizens' brand name in front of New Yorkers, as the bank continues to expand after buying HSBC's East Coast branches as well as Investors Bank last year.

Frontline staffers are asking for better pay, internal talent development programs and more flexible work environments.

A handful of banks concentrated in the Southeast U.S. are facing elevated charge-offs amid the liquidation of Mountain Express Oil. First Horizon Corp., which led a syndicated loan of more than $200 million to the bankrupt company, expects to take a $70 million hit.

Lenders either write down portions of soured credits or charge them off altogether to remove them from their balance sheets. Banks also set aside reserves to cover potential future bad loans. This allowance creates a buffer for lenders to absorb losses.

Jeff Disterhoft, 56, has left GreenState Credit Union after 24 years as its chief executive.

It's a challenge Japan's largest lender must overcome as it focuses on growing its corporate banking presence in the US, said Fumitaka Nakahama, the firm's head of global corporate and investment banking. 

Following New York Community Bancorp's acquisition of Flagstar, the company is ditching the regional bank brands that it long used. CEO Thomas Cangemi calls Flagstar a "neutral" but "patriotic" name that underscores the firm's nationwide expansion strategy.

At least four of CEO Jane Fraser's senior deputies got new roles in the shakeup, which will result in a number of job cuts.

Concerns about large unrealized losses on bond investments have receded since the spring banking crisis, but the paper losses have started growing again in recent months. The worries today are less about banks' survival — and more about how much their margins will get squeezed.

Recent Arizent research shows that having appealing digital spaces is one of the most important factors for customer experience at banks.

Mergers and acquisitions are rebounding and equity capital markets are thawing, says C.S. Venkatakrishnan. That's a welcome forecast after a persistent slump sapped investment banking revenue across the industry. 

Republican Josh Hawley, the senior senator from Missouri, says he intends to offer legislation that would cap credit card rates at 18%. For a bill designed to go nowhere, it's a surprisingly good idea.

The buy now/pay later lender expects those increased expenses — brought on by rising interest rates — to eat into one of its key metrics: revenue less transaction costs.

After taking incremental steps to bolster its wealth management business, the Rhode Island bank is preparing to roll out a broader strategy focused on high-net-worth clients.

The avoidance of one of the harsher economic scenarios is good news for banks, which are also contending with tighter profit margins and increasing competition for customers. But loan growth and credit quality could be at risk.