Banking

While branch closings remain the norm throughout the industry, the hunt for suddenly scarce deposits is prompting some community banks to move in the opposite direction and expand their branch networks.

The McLean, Virginia-based bank is building its deposit base — in contrast with many banks that are starting to see outflows. But the growth is accompanied by rising interest expenses, which are expected to cut modestly into profit margins this year.

Artificial intelligence now has the potential to fundamentally change customers' relationships with banks, impacting everything from onboarding to retention and upselling.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta is standing by the state's commercial financing disclosure law, urging more protections for small-business financings and arguing that federal consumer law does not not apply to commercial lending.

The loan-growth projections are for Columbia Banking System itself, before the Tacoma, Washington, bank officially merges with Umpqua Holdings. The $5 billion deal is scheduled to close Feb. 28.

The company settled with the Federal Reserve after self-reporting that it had disbursed $1.1 million in wrongfully obtained Paycheck Protection Program loans.

The lending software and shared services provider was created by bankers for bankers.

The $1.4 billion-asset credit union said John Roemer officially became its new leader Jan. 23.

Provident Bank will roughly double in size by combining with Lakeland Bancorp. The modified technology roles it's filled in the past six months could help it take on larger clients.

Members of the American Bankers Association's Economic Advisory Committee expect gross domestic product to stall in 2023. Other surveys show a modest contraction. Lenders say sentiment among their borrowers also points to a slight slowdown.

Six Wall Street banks are being pressed by a group of shareholders to move faster on reducing their financing of fossil fuels to meet global climate goals.

Unrelenting pressure to improve efficiency could keep bank merger activity steady or even accelerate it despite several economic and regulatory factors except for one — credit quality, say two veteran Piper Sandler dealmakers.

Caren Gabriel, who joined the credit union in 1985 as a staff attorney and became president and chief executive in 2004, will be succeeded by executive vice president and chief operating officer Matt Jernigan on April 8.

In a state where two-thirds of residents use a credit union, a growing populace translates to even more membership, employment and loan growth with those institutions, according to data from the National Credit Union Administration.

The Dallas-based company says noninterest expenses should grow by low double digits in 2023 now that the bulk of the investments related to its business transformation have been incurred.

The declining credit quality included more borrowers with higher credit scores falling behind on their credit card payments. But executives said the increase remains within expectations as it continues seeing "very linear normalization" in credit.

The National Credit Union Administration put Valwood Park Federal Credit Union into its care this month, citing concerns of unsafe and unsound business practices.

The custody giant benefited from rising interest rates, which helped offset choppy financial markets and a decline in fee income.

The Wall Street Journal reported the Fed is investigating Goldman Sachs' Marcus division, the company's effort to reach U.S. consumers that has been scaled back. The New York bank's stock fell 2.5% after the news.

The Birmingham, Alabama, bank expects up to $5 billion in additional deposit declines in the first half of 2023 but is hopeful for potential growth in funding later this year.