Banking

College athletes can now profit from their name, image and likeness, and some local lenders have been quick to sign them on as spokespeople. But it's still unclear whether these young sports figures will raise the financial institutions' profile enough to justify the cost.

Farmers and the banks that lend to them are prospering again after several lean years, thanks to high crop prices and government subsidies. But sagging loan demand, inflation and what some observers see as a bubble in land values are fueling concern that the revival will be short-lived.

Debbie Guiney, who joined the institution in 1977, will step down at the end of this year.

Financial services companies tend to push out older employees. That’s a mistake, both because of the loss of institutional knowledge and because it’s older bankers who can build the best rapport with boomer customers.

Friendly Hills Bancorp's board is due for a shake-up after its management team underperformed for more than a decade, says shareholder Frank Kavanaugh.

Ant Group said it is repositioning its most popular consumer credit service to stand out from products offered by banks, its latest step in a regulatory-driven overhaul.

Borrowers expect the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates next year to contain soaring prices and are locking in favorable terms now, bankers say.

A new report finds that financial companies are the most targeted by fraudsters seeking to steal usernames and passwords. They're fighting back with specialized tracking technology, special domain names and other increasingly sophisticated techniques.

Lawmakers are seeking documents from two companies — Blueacorn and Womply — over concerns about the suspected scale of fraud in Paycheck Protection Program loans they processed.

Dustin Cuttriss will succeed Kevin Willour, who is retiring at the end of 2022.

Jane Kulich, who worked for Citizens Bank in Mukwonago, Wisconsin, was killed when a driver plowed into the gathering in nearby Waukesha.

Professional Holding CEO Dan Sheehan is dismissive of off-the-shelf bank technology. “Whatever we’re getting in a box, the next hundred competitors are going to be able to get.”

The Cleveland company has bought out XUP after taking an equity stake in it early this year, saying its technology showed promise in simplifying enrollment of small and middle-market companies in multiple commercial payments services.

The regional banks are moving past old-school collection calls, instead using emails, texts and on-screen messages to urge delinquent customers to repay debt. Modern communications are said to be more efficient and in keeping with Consumer Financial Protection Bureau debt-collection rules set to take effect Nov. 30.

Alliant Credit Union in Chicago is building a database of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau enforcement actions to analyze patterns over time and help it formulate a compliance program that will withstand political swings in Washington.

Year to date through Sep. 30, 2021. Dollars in thousands.

Year to date through Sep. 30, 20201. Dollars in thousands.

The buyer said it would enter two of Wyoming’s largest markets and expand in Nebraska and Colorado with the purchase.

Bankers say they're putting up with behavior from entry-level workers that never would have been tolerated in the past because it's so hard to fill positions. Those compromises can undermine corporate culture.