Economy

Vacancies and rent-slashing have some banks worried that certain markets are overheating, but others say the decline in nonperforming loans is a sign the sector has never been healthier.

The recent decision by the Federal Reserve Board to exempt banks with less than $250 billion in assets from the qualitative aspects of the CCAR stress tests may be a sign of things to come, says Joo-Yung Lee, head of North American financial institutions at Fitch Ratings.

A strong economy, an abundance of small businesses and a shakeout from industry consolidation are making the area between Los Angeles and San Diego appealing to bank organizers.

Critics of Dodd-Frank argue that post-crisis regulations put a damper on lending. But loan growth at regional and community banks has "actually been very strong," says Joo-Yung Lee, head of North American financial institutions at Fitch Ratings.

Andy Sieg says the firm's digital wealth and mobile app investments are "a key strategic story."

IBM's work with Northern Trust and Hyperledger and Microsoft's alliance with JPMorgan and others show the different approaches the tech giants are taking with the technology.

Capital One co-founder Nigel Morris discusses how his venture capital firm, QED Investors, helps banks and fintechs better understand each other.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of AmericanBanker.com articles and our social media platforms.

Although much of banking is cautiously optimistic about the Trump presidency, the financial firms and organizations that serve the unbanked see the election as a mixed bag at best so far.

After several strong years for credit union lending, new research shows consumer confidence dipping, with the overwhelming majority of consumers saying they don’t plan on borrowing anytime soon.