In some cases bankers' willingness to close branches and cut staff is a testament to their company's strength.

A 15-hour shutdown of online banking, mobile banking, ATMs and wire transfers was caused by a single data storage unit. BB&T's lawsuit blames the vendor, but the bank may have left itself too exposed to equipment failure.

Instead of imposing interest rate caps, policymakers should require online lenders to provide clear disclosures and promote partnerships with banks.

BB&T has said the outage, which blocked customers' account access for hours, cost it about $20 million.

BB&T has said the outage, which blocked customers' account access for hours, cost it about $20 million.

The number of fintech startups has declined rapidly; several banks are using customer data to help customize retail offers.

The number of fintech startups has declined rapidly; several banks are using customer data to help customize retail offers.

In marketing themselves to small companies, challenger banks are offering cool gadgets and a sympathetic ear about the hassles of being bank customers.

In marketing themselves to small companies, challenger banks are offering cool gadgets and a sympathetic ear about the hassles of being bank customers.

David Becker, who founded First Internet Bank two decades ago, says traditional banks' digital-only ventures are only making his bank look more mainstream.