Economy

Soybean, corn and wheat are trading at their highest levels since 2014, meaning farmers are more likely to catch up on loan payments and pursue expansions that require them to take out more loans.

The Alabama company is instead on the hunt for nonbank acquisition candidates as well as employees or clients it could lure away from regional banks that have announced merger deals recently, John Turner says.

The Fortune 500 conglomerate has had discussions about merging Thrivent Credit Union, which operates independently of the company, into the bank if the charter is approved.

Payments technology provider NMI is acquiring USAePay to boost its multichannel service offerings for its independent sales organization network, as well as bank and fintech innovation partners.

The Federal Reserve warned of significant risks of business bankruptcies and steep drops in commercial real estate prices in a report published on Friday.

Brex currently relies on bank partners to offer credit cards and cash management accounts to small and midsize businesses. It is looking to charter its own FDIC-insured institution to be a direct provider.

Community development financial institutions would reach even more underserved households and business if they had strong relationships with tech firms and national banks. Here's how the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency can foster such partnerships.

A survey commissioned by Bank of America found that Black entrepreneurs are more hopeful about revenue opportunities than other small-business owners, though many are still struggling to bring in the capital needed to expand.

Year to date Sep. 30, 2020. Dollars in thousands.

On Sep. 30, 2020. Dollars in thousands.

On Sep. 30, 2020. Dollars in thousands.

In a book that was decades in the making, retired law professor Art Wilmarth tells the story of the Glass-Steagall Act — its origins, demise and aftermath. He also makes a case for restoring the separation between banks and securities firms, arguing that erecting such a barrier would reduce systemic risk and weaken the big banks’ political power.

A full rebound won’t occur until next year at the earliest because of the slow vaccine rollout, most executives at small banks said in a new survey. Last summer, more than half expected a turnaround this year.

While its net income declined annually for the second consecutive year, CEO Hugh Frater touted Fannie Mae’s resiliency in a record year for providing mortgage liquidity.

Transportation and clean-energy upgrades could create significant new lending opportunities, but some observers fear the government will foot the bill through a special tax on banks and other financial firms.

The trust bank and the credit card company said they'll make it easier for customers to use cryptocurrencies. The announcements contributed to another jump in the price of the largest digital asset.

Harris Simmons of Zions Bancorp. warned that excess deposits could suppress loan demand and pose an inflation threat, while Darren King of M&T tried to reassure investors that deposits will be less volatile than some fear once the economy improves.

Ken LaRoe, whose First Green Bancorp was sold a few years ago, is seeking approval for a de novo called Climate First Bank that would cater to low-income communities hurt by climate change and favor ecology-minded tech vendors.

The Jackson, Miss.-based credit union is part of an alliance that also includes the megabank, seven cities and nine historically Black colleges and universities, and aims to provide investments of up to $130 million to help stabilize businesses and communities hit hard by the pandemic.

Harris Simmons, the chairman and CEO of Zions Bancorp., updated investors Wednesday on his cancer diagnosis, saying a CAT scan last week did not detect the rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma with which he was diagnosed in November.