Branch network

Bank of America announced Thursday that it customers can now suspend their debit cards temporarily; it is the first of several new features the bank has planned for 2016 after it tripled its digital banking budget.

Fintech is a chic topic at Davos, but it's barely a blip on the radar of analysts who lock in on hard numbers during earnings calls. Yet with tech taking a bigger role in financial services, mobile banking or the blockchain might soon become as topical as efficiency ratios or net interest margins.

NEW YORK — Despite crippling amounts of snow from behemoth winter storm Jonas, most credit unions are operating relatively normally, according to leagues in some of the hardest-hit states in the Eastern U.S.

Having shored up capital following the financial crisis, many banks are flush with cash and in search of ways to put it to use. One option for banks that did sale-leasebacks in the past is to reacquire their branches.

NCUA on Tuesday said it is partnering with the Missouri Division of Credit Unions and the Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance to work with federally insured credit unions affected by the recent severe storms and flooding in the two waterlogged states.

Banks face immense challenges trying to keep up with technology, but they also must cater to older customers with big deposit accounts who still use their branch.

Banks have all the experience they need to remain relevant in the world of digital payments, but they must not sit idly by as a slew of disruptors look to snag the business.

Credit unions have a lot of work to do to modernize branches and keep their technology on par with other businesses' digital tools.

Banks have a lot of work to do to modernize branches and keep their technology on par with other businesses' digital tools. Here are some ideas worth borrowing from retailers, restaurants and consumer electronics makers if banks haven't adopted them already, says appointment-software firm Financial Management Solutions.

Community banks are embracing branch innovations to deliver a more personalized experience to customers, and differentiate themselves from larger competitors.