Provident Bank announces its new chief lending officer; the SEC's acting chairman asks a federal court to delay scheduling cases involving a rule on climate-related disclosure; the merger deadline for Capital One Financial's proposed acquisition of Discover Financial Services is extended; and more in this week's banking news roundup.

Serious delinquencies on auto loans rose to almost 3% in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to the New York Fed. Researchers blame the affordability problem on soaring car prices.

Joseph Otting, who is leading Flagstar's turnaround, said potential buyers may be interested in acquiring the regional bank once it gets past certain challenges.

The superregional in Pittsburgh said banks large enough to attract its attention have yet to put themselves on the sale block. PNC's finance chief said, "We just have to be ready if and when those windows open."

TD has been adjusting its balance sheet to comply with a cap on its U.S. retail banking assets, imposed last year as part of its money-laundering plea.

Titi Cole, a former executive at Citigroup, is now on the company's board of directors; Citizens Financial Group has formed a trust subsidiary as part of its wealth management and private bank expansion efforts; shareholders of Atlantic Union Bankshares and Sandy Spring Bancorp approved the two companies' planned merger; and more in this week's banking news roundup.

Banks are expecting increased M&A activity across the financial sector, but are concerned about acquisition by credit unions and tech integration challenges.

Cincinnati-based processor has agreed to buy a London technology firm that uses artificial intelligence to build advanced models to manage fraud risk.

Just days after UMB Financial completed its acquisition of Heartland Financial, CEO Mariner Kemper spoke about how the deal came together and the combined bank's future.

Donald Trump's second administration is widely expected to be far less skeptical of bank mergers than the Biden administration has been, but industry experts say that political opposition to big bank mergers and business considerations will still be roadblocks.