Interest rates

There is a major opportunity out there, especially for community banks, to displace predatory lenders and earn a healthy return at the same time. It's just a question of making the leap.

The Federal Reserve chair said there are no economic indicators calling for rapid rate cuts. He also addressed Fed independence, the impact of Trump's economic agenda and more.

In a speech, Federal Reserve Gov. Adriana Kugler said sound monetary policy comes when electoral politics are kept out of central banking.

Sens. Elizabeth Warren and John Hickenlooper say recent data suggests there is "no need for restrictive interest rates" and easier monetary policy is necessary to lower housing costs.

Initial employment data shows virtually no job growth in October. With the Federal Reserve's focus on the labor market, the reading could seal the deal for a November rate cut.

Core PCE held steady as service costs rose, but the overall report maintains the central bank's flexibility ahead of next week's Federal Open Market Committee meeting.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Texas banking regulators issued consent orders against Industry State Bank, Fayetteville Bank and Citizens State Bank, requiring major overhauls of their management, capital and risk controls.

The danger for the central bankers is that "they go too fast or too slow and that risk is higher now than it was six months ago," BofA Chief Executive Brian Moynihan said.

Honolulu-based Territorial Bancorp is delaying the approval vote by about four weeks in order to continue discussions with its shareholders. A group that includes a former Bank of Hawaii CEO is trying to scuttle the $78 million deal with Los Angeles-based Hope Bancorp.

Marc Rowan said he doesn't see a reason for the Federal Reserve to keep cutting interest rates to stimulate the U.S. economy.

The Miami-area bank long ago exited New York and has plans to leave Texas, as CEO Jerry Plush expands its footprint in the Sunshine State. The shift comes as the bank, which competes in Florida with many out-of-state banks, is set to cross $10 billion of assets.

A new academic paper dives into the key factors that have caused bank failures over the past 160 years.

Racquel Oden, HSBC's head of wealth and personal banking in the U.S., talks about how to guide clients through a year of political and economic upheaval.

Policymakers signaled more reductions lie ahead, a development that could curb lenders' net interest income in the near term but support economic growth and credit quality.

The regional bank has already seen a large reduction in "criticized" loans, and it expects that trend to pick up as lower borrowing costs alleviate the pain in the commercial real estate sector.

Underlying U.S. inflation unexpectedly picked up in August on higher prices for housing and travel, undercutting the chances of an outsize Federal Reserve interest-rate cut next week.

After hikes pinched profits across the industry, a move in the opposite direction could be the start of a more promising trend. But bankers caution that the immediate effects of a September rate cut figure to be small.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta president said the two mandates are in balance for the first time since 2021, although he is "not quite prepared" to declare victory over inflation.

It's unclear what will happen when the Fed starts cutting interest rates, but community banks will be there to support their customers no matter what the economy looks like.

Lower interest rates could bolster loan demand, credit quality and securities portfolios. But they could also curb lending profitability faster than they ease deposit costs, crimping net interest margins and eating into near-term profits.