Investments

Credit card issuers for years have looked beyond plastic materials to keep their cards top of mind and top of wallet. But just how much does the credit card material actually affect consumers' spending habits?

The banking giant's exit from the global Net-Zero Banking Alliance leaves just three smaller U.S. banks in the group. Climate activists called large banks' departures a capitulation to Republicans' climate denialism.

Arrow Financial in Glens Falls kept busy in December, consolidating its two subsidiary banks, expanding its board and restructuring its securities portfolio.

Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs have also withdrawn from the Net-Zero Banking Alliance in the past month, as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office.

Vulnerabilities related to environmental, social and governance issues have become a serious threat vector when it comes to money laundering. Banks must recognize the danger and adapt their systems accordingly.

The Federal Open Market Committee cut the fed funds target again in December but signaled fewer cuts in 2025. There was some dissent. The markets are watching to see if the Federal Reserve pauses its easing cycle in January. Join us at noon, Eastern, on Jan. 30 as Brian Rehling, head of global fixed-income strategy at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, recaps and parses the previous day's FOMC meeting and Fed Chair Jerome Powell's press conference.

Analysts are unsure what the Federal Open Market Committee will do with monetary policy in 2025. The panel projects two rate cuts, but some analysts expect more, and others see fewer.

The Louisiana-based bank reduced its dividend to a penny, the second reduction it has made this year as it tries to bring down expenses and generate more capital.

Members of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. board of directors Tuesday debated Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra's proposal limiting capital distributions system-wide during times of stress, as well as penalties for institutions caught engaging in money laundering.

The Honolulu-based bank is taking a $19.7 million pretax loss to rid its balance sheet of low-yielding investments. It joined a parade of banks that have made similar moves.