Primis Financial in McLean believes its multimillion-dollar investment in a subsidiary that makes online loans to doctors, dentists and veterinarians will begin paying off this year, after build-out costs weighed on the bottom line in 2021 and 2022.

A senior regulator writes that the ongoing review of the system will lead to changes, rather than an embrace of the status quo.

Bank executives are slowing their momentum across commercial and consumer lending segments, a Federal Reserve report finds. Many still expect growth this year, but not as much as in 2022.

Thomas Zernick will become chief executive of the Florida bank when Anthony Leo retires at the start of 2024.

Executives cited uncertainty created by surging interest rates, heightened regulatory scrutiny and the potential for a recession.

The minority depository institution largely caters to Mexicans in the U.S. Their trust in smartphones and distrust of traditional banking has influenced its approach to developing digital tools.

LevelField CEO Gene Grant says its strategy for merging with Burling Bank is super-conservative, despite an intention to serve the digital-asset community. "We've taken everything out of the business plan" that might give regulators pause, he says.

The bank, which is beleaguered by digital-asset portfolio forced loan charge-offs that led to a loss in the third quarter and for the full year, climbed to a net income of $2.7 million for the fourth quarter.

As companies downsize and restructure, American Banker is tracking these decisions to help our readers understand how their industries are adapting.

The Radnor, Pennsylvania-based financial technology company made an unsuccessful bid to buy a bank. Now it is shifting into expense-reduction mode.

Famous for his hand-typed "Guenther-gram" messages, the longtime Independent Community Bankers of America CEO played a critical role in boosting the trade group's political clout after it moved to Washington from Sauk Centre, Minnesota, in 1982.

Indexes show heightened expectations for a recession and souring loans. But executives are upbeat about middle-market businesses and overall job growth.

Banks need to be cautious about negotiating pre-merger Community Benefit Agreements with nationwide activist groups. The deals carry real reputational hazard.

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.

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.

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.

Many bank CEOs see the end of work from home coming soon, but other industry leaders are not so sure. Meanwhile, much empty office space lies waiting in limbo.

Community bankers already have decades of experience managing concentration risks and responding to extreme weather events and natural disasters in their communities.

Community banks and credit unions have pooled their resources and ideas to develop a bilingual challenger bank, banking-as-a-service playbook, cheaper alternative to Zelle and other innovations.

AmeriServ Financial in Johnstown boosted earnings through the first nine months of 2022, but not enough to satisfy Abbott Cooper, who called the company a "prolonged underperformer."