Banking

Regulators' decision to lift a seven-year-old cap on the size of the megabank's balance sheet will produce benefits over the long haul, but it won't result in any sudden gains, according to CFO Michael Santomassimo.

Banks can now make loans of less than $1,000 easily and profitably. Increasing their availability would benefit consumers, communities and, most of all, banks themselves.

When a Chicago bank crashed, delivering a major blow to the Deposit Insurance Fund, regulators said they suspected fraud. Historically, that's a common story.

The New York City-based specialty finance company must pay $3 million as part of a settlement with the SEC for allegedly inflating its stock price. Its president must pay a separate $1 million fine.

Some banks hope to use M&A as a way to play defense, either because they need to shore up their deposits or because they have aging CEOs and are looking for an exit. But investors aren't wild about the deal math.

After years of laying the groundwork, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has converted its credit union into an all-digital bank. Here's a look at the company's strategy.

NB Bancorp's deal for Provident Bancorp is the fourth announced in the Bay State since December. It comes nearly three years after bad crypto mining loans led to massive losses at Provident.

Bethany Corum succeeds Tom Barron as president of Capital City Bank; Independent Bank Corp. plans to finalize purchase of in-state rival, Enterprise Bancorp; Customers Bank taps Mark McCollom to take over as chief financial officer; and more in this week's banking news roundup.

Main Street Financial's ouster of James VanSickle came three months after its chairman characterized the company's financial performance as being "on the upswing."

The Toronto-based bank said that Aron Levine will become group head and president of BMO U.S. It also announced the upcoming retirement of Ernie Johannson, head of North American personal and business banking.

Banks that are financing the rise of nonbank competitors have been losing market share in commercial lending. But by getting in on the action, the same banks are also seeing some payoff.

Freedom Bank is rolling out Freedom@Work, which offers perks for employees of participating companies, as part of a wider strategy to attract more consumer deposits.

Marianne Lake will oversee strategic growth and the company's fast-growing overseas consumer bank. 

The STATES 2.0 Act, currently pending in Congress, would go a long way toward giving banks confidence that they can provide services to legal cannabis businesses without putting themselves in legal jeopardy.

Oxford Bank appears poised to reap benefits from a substantial investment in building out its commercial finance subsidiary. The business, which provides credit to companies that aren't a good fit for bank loans, has moved into the banking mainstream over the last 15 years.

The probability of a trade war-induced recession is unclear and fluctuates almost daily. However, the possibility is real enough that banks have a responsibility to prepare for a serious economic downturn on par with the 2008 financial crisis.

The payments fintech is partnering with credit unions such as Michigan State Federal Credit Union to offer cash-back rewards on debit transactions using account-to-account payment schemes.

The Department of Justice is seeking to terminate a Biden-era lending discrimination settlement with Lakeland Bank. Last month, the DOJ took similar action in a case involving Mississippi-based Trustmark National Bank.