Banking

Fourth-quarter profits rose 10% at the Cleveland company as investment banking income hit a record and nonperforming loans plummeted. Executives say charge-offs will probably start rising in late 2022 but that fee income from capital markets transactions will keep growing.

The Buffalo, New York, bank is tweaking its loan mix and reducing some deposits in interest-bearing accounts. It says the moves should boost its net interest margin, which has declined in almost every quarter since the start of the pandemic.

Executives predict a 5% to 6% bump in lending this year, and they also say they'd be comfortable if up to a third of the Cincinnati company's excess cash migrates away.

The tax preparation giant is diversifying its services with a digital bank that it hopes will entice customers with no-fee features, cash back rewards and early access to paychecks.

The Community Bankers Association of Illinois has proposed legislation to discourage credit union-bank mergers by imposing a fee that credit unions would have to pay when they purchase banks. Six Illinois community banks have been sold to credit unions since 2019.

Premier Bank is appealing the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance's decision to block its sale to GreenState Credit Union.

The Tennessee bank reported an uptick in commercial lending during the fourth quarter. Executives pointed to the impact of a 2020 acquisition that allowed First Horizon to bulk up in in Florida, Georgia and Louisiana.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has opened an inquiry into whether the largest issuers are engaging in unfair or anti-competitive practices. JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and the rest of the top eight control 70% of the $1 trillion credit card market.

The nonprofit received a $1.5 million grant to monitor, evaluate and strengthen consumer protections in the digital financial marketplace. Here's what it's doing with the funds.

Costs climbed 11% in the fourth quarter, but the Georgia company says it remains on track to generate $175 million by the end of this year through a combination of expense cuts and revenue enhancements.

The Louisiana Credit Union League is nearing the launch of a social network that will allow its constituents to stay in touch even when they can't meet in person, whether due to the pandemic or natural disasters.

The Boston company is forecasting larger earnings growth in the first year after closing its $3.5 billion deal than it projected in September. On the flip side, the acquisition will take longer to close than initially expected.

The deal is the latest example of a mainstream bank buying a point-of-sale lender focused on financing home improvement projects.

J. Kevin Ryan is succeeded by Cameron Minges, who became the credit union's president a year ago.

The government has become more skeptical of mergers, but the Minneapolis company expressed confidence it can maintain its original timeline for the $8 billion acquisition. Separately, it announced substantial changes to its overdraft program that will, among other things, eliminate fees for nonsufficient funds.

The Irvine, California, bank has been beset by compliance woes since early 2021, when state regulators issued an order requiring it to bolster its capital and reduce the concentration of its commercial real estate footprint.

The largest bank based in oil-rich Texas is building a framework for gauging the threat that climate change poses to its business and plans to disclose more information on the subject this summer. Meanwhile, its energy loan portfolio shrank 24% year over year.

Customers are ramping up borrowing just as interest rates are poised to rise. That combination “sets us up nicely for 2022,” says CEO Brian Moynihan.

Google has hired former PayPal executive Arnold Goldberg to run its payments division and set a new course for the business after it scrapped a push into banking.

The Rhode Island bank estimated that its revised overdraft practices will cost $40 million each year, but it noted that complaints to call centers are down 40% since the policy change.