Expense management

More banks are boosting salaries to lure and keep workers in a highly competitive hiring market, but the pressure is on to trim expenses elsewhere to offset the pay hikes.

The bank's noninterest expenses fell by 8% in the second quarter — a sign that CEO Charlie Scharf is making progress in reining in spending that had been soaring in recent years amid heightened regulatory scrutiny. He ultimately hopes to reduce gross expenditures by $8 billion annually.

The global company says that a quicker-than-expected economic recovery is creating some opportunities to invest in businesses that will generate returns over time.

The company plans to shutter five locations, or roughly 12% of its network, next month.

The Charlotte, N.C., company has shuttered 400 branches in the past year and intends to close nearly 500 more by early 2022. It’s also eliminating office space and reducing headcount as it aims to keep quarterly expenses under $3 billion.

Net income was boosted by a $1.6 billion release of loan-loss reserves.

Goldman Sachs Group’s plan to move part of its asset management unit to Florida is gaining momentum, as the Wall Street bank discreetly seeks volunteers for the first wave and prepares office space.

The Delaware company would remove a rival, gain scale in affluent Philadelphia suburbs and accelerate its transformation from a branch-heavy lender to a digital-first bank with the $976 million acquisition.

Efforts to simplify business operations under incoming CEO Jane Fraser will cost a lot of money but will ultimately create a safer, more profitable company, Chief Financial Officer Mark Mason said.

Bank of America cut some of its staff in the global banking and markets division this week. The latest cuts mark an end to BofA's pledge not to eliminate any jobs in 2020 as the global pandemic flared.

The London company poured cold water on speculation a deal to divest its 152-branch network in the United States was imminent. But biding its time here while focusing on issues in other parts of its global operation could drive up the price in a seller’s M&A market.

Chairman and CEO Phillip Green said the decision to lay off 68 employees was "really the last thing" the San Antonio company wanted to do as it wrestles with low interest rates and challenges tied to the coronavirus pandemic.

Bank of New York Mellon, State Street and Northern Trust have even more reason to slash costs than commercial banks because their options to boost revenue are more limited. Problem is, they also have fewer cost-cutting options.

The Georgia company increased its target for annual expense cuts and new revenue to $175 million from $100 million. But executives warned that low interest rates and weaker mortgage volume, along with a need to invest in technology, will delay some of the bottom-line benefits.

The companies are reacting to an ongoing shift in customer preferences to digital channels.

Mergers and acquisitions were largely on ice in 2020, but banks' mounting need to control expenses and invest heavily in technology could spur a comeback this year.

Pandemic-induced shifts in how people work and bank will allow the Tennessee company to shed more branches and office space. It now projects it will slash expenses by an additional $30 million a year.

The Connecticut company said it will take several years to shut down the locations, which are located in Stop & Shop stores. About 80% of the branches are within five miles of traditional locations.

Hundreds of branches temporarily shuttered during the pandemic are now permanently closed.

CEO Charlie Scharf’s long-awaited expense-reduction plan got a chilly reception from investors.