Economy

Market mavens love to wax poetic about the so-called resilient consumer, but the reality is consumer spending is largely underwritten with credit, so it makes sense to keep an eye on credit trends.

Opportunity favors the prepared, and Cambridge Savings Bank had been saving for years to buy a nearby rival. Now, as the mutual bank announces plans to acquire First Seacoast Bank, it says it's found "the right deal at the right time."

Federal Reserve Gov. Michael Barr said Tuesday that the U.S. energy sector is more insulated from shocks than Europe's, particularly in natural gas prices. However, he warned that the war is pushing up gasoline prices, which could spill over into other parts of the economy.

The Iran war's disruptions have sent oil prices jumping, but drillers are far more disciplined than they were a decade ago.

The Beaver State measure gives de novo banks up to $1 million per year in tax credits. Oregon lawmakers modeled their legislation on a 5-year-old Ohio law.

Schwab services 16,000 RIAs with 2,000 different fee structures. According to the industry's largest custodian, the exact costs come down to "a very personalized negotiation" with the firms.

As Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell gives what is most likely his final press conference as chair Wednesday afternoon, the Federal Open Market Committee is widely expected to keep interest rates steady.

A federal judge finds that the embattled brokerage Alpine Securities' argument that FINRA should answer to the federal executive branch amounts to " wishful thinking" that "collapses under the weight of spiraling aspiration."

The Treasury Department will look at recipients of awards from the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund for "potential violations of applicable law" as the Trump administration continues its campaign against alleged abuses related to the program.

Fintech firm IntraFi's most recent quarterly survey of bank executives showed rising pessimism among bankers related to "instability in Washington," as well as growing concerns about technology-enabled fraud.

The CFPB's small-business-data rule is a lesson in what happens when nobody agrees.

The Long Island-based regional bank, which has been in turnaround mode for two years, reduced its earnings per share guidance for 2026 and 2027. It cited an expected decrease in net interest income due to higher levels of payoffs and paydowns in commercial real estate.

Some financial companies are noticing the effects of the war on consumers; they're not concerned yet, but they are paying attention.

An uptick in problem loans within the heavily scrutinized office sector pushed down share prices at Rhode Island-based Washington Trust and Bank OZK in Little Rock, Arkansas, even though both banks reported solid profits.

Credit risk transfers, a means by which banks can move risk off their balance sheets, earned considerable bipartisan support in a House Financial Services subcommittee hearing Wednesday.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday defended cuts to the Community Development Financial Institution Fund in the president's 2027 budget, telling the Senate Appropriations Committee that the program had pursued a "partisan wish list."

Economists and policy analysts say a prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz — and uncertainty about the duration of the conflict — could drive up inflation and further weaken consumer sentiment, which could weigh on bank earnings.

The Birmingham, Alabama-based company also benefited from improved credit quality, with declines in nonperforming assets and criticized loans paving the way for a reduced provision

The U.S. is preparing to turn its conflict with Iran into the kind of economic war that Iran has been waging since the start.

Federal Reserve Gov. Stephen Miran Thursday said that the Iran war and tariffs will not have long-term impacts on inflation, but did say he is reconsidering his rate cut outlook for the year.