Practice management

The financial services industry has largely recovered from the negative shocks of the 2008 financial crisis. Still, the results from the most recent release of the Edelman Trust Barometer found that banks need to address a significant level of skepticism among consumers.

Gone are the days when Wall Street executives dressed in conspicuously expensive clothing. Now the industry has adopted a more relaxed and casual dress code.

SouthState Corp. plans to purchase Independent Bank Group in a $2 billion deal, marking an end to the latter bank's long run of buying companies. Chairman and CEO David Brooks pointed to a challenging interest rate environment and heightened regulatory scrutiny as reasons he decided to sell.

Shareholders at America's largest bank voted against requiring an independent board chair, though the proposal drew more support than similar measures did recently at other megabanks. The vote came just one day after Dimon signaled that his departure as CEO may be on the horizon.

Getting appointees confirmed by the Senate can be a time-consuming and painstaking process in ideal circumstances, and doing it in an election year amid a scandal is far from ideal. Even so, the White House and Senate Democrats should be motivated to move fast.

One year after it bought First Republic Bank, the largest U.S. bank by assets is launching J.P. Morgan Private Client, a new tier in its affluent-consumer services that brings together JPMorgan's brand with First Republic's concierge model.

The Florida-based bank, which has been expanding across the South, would enter major markets such as Dallas and Houston with its planned all-stock acquisition of Independent Bank Group.

New York Community Bancorp hasn't said who will replace Chief Operating Officer Julie Signorille-Browne, who is resigning amid a management shake-up.

The utility, under financial pressure following its involvement in the 2023 fires that ravaged Maui, reportedly is considering a sale of its profitable American Savings Banking unit. An executive declined to "speculate on any strategic transactions or alternatives."

CEO Kevin Cohee is convinced WiseOne, the AI companion OneUnited Bank rolled out late last year, can help customers make better financial decisions. Cohee also wants to see his passion for personal fiscal improvement play to a wider audience, through development of a nationwide financial literacy curriculum.

What lies ahead for the banking industry this year? Here's what analysts and investors are tracking after the latest bank earnings reports.

Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., is asking the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to withdraw a corporate governance guidance proposal as FDIC Chair Martin Gruenberg is set to testify in Congress later this week.

The Puerto Rico-based company's board of directors has given an additional title to COO Javier Ferrer, naming him president as of May 9. His career path closely resembles that of his boss, CEO Ignacio Alvarez.

Many banks got shares in the lucrative payments network when it went public in 2008. Some of them are now looking to sell in order to offset losses on their sales of underwater bonds.

Depositors are still flocking to online-only banking platforms offered by companies such as Ally, Capital One and Discover. But overall customer satisfaction took a "statistically significant" drop, according to a new J.D. Power report.

OakNorth Bank in London is eager to utilize the data it's collected from providing risk management software to American banks over the past five years. Its growth plans include eventually acquiring a charter here and making commercial real estate loans.

The Minneapolis-based company has promoted Kedia to president, a role that CEO Andy Cecere and his predecessor both held before being named to the top job.

The combination of two Pacific Northwest banks was supposed to create a regional powerhouse, but rising deposit costs have stung. CEO Clint Stein says he's "laser-focused" on making Columbia a top performer again.

The embattled Long Island bank unveiled a turnaround plan that involves selling noncore assets and diversifying its commercial loan book. But first, it will need to sort through credit-related challenges in its large commercial real estate portfolio.