Expense management

The Louisiana company has vowed to meaningfully improve investor returns and efficiency over the next two years.

Investing in technology has been an important focus for banks. But big questions remain about these investments, including how best to pay for them.

The North Carolina company's efforts to contain expenses made up for a marginal increase in revenue.

The Alabama company, as part of an efficiency effort, is streamlining its organizational structure and creating a division focused on community engagement.

A debate is brewing about whether rising rates mean banks must pay more to hold onto deposits from city and county governments — and whether they are worth it. Some would say no question on both counts, while others say it all depends on the financial strategy of the client and how badly the bank needs that client.

The bank will spend an additional $1.4 billion on technology in 2018 to gain share and boost efficiency, executives said Tuesday. But they were peppered with questions about whether the big investment will yield a big financial return down the road.

A mix of tax sweeteners and a lower cost of living has prompted banks such as MUFG Americas, Northern Trust and Bank of the West to locate corporate-level jobs in Phoenix and surrounding areas.

You read that right. Community bankers hope efforts by JPMorgan Chase, Amazon and Berkshire Hathaway will drive down health care costs — and maybe create products or services they can use.

Executives at U.S. Bancorp and Bank of America plan to use their tax savings to ramp up spending on new technology to stay competitive — but they sought to reassure investors that they would not abandon cost control.

Costs fell less than 1% to $54.7 billion in 2017, and its goal for 2018 is $53 billion. Analysts question whether revenue growth and tax relief will reduce the incentive to get leaner.