Revenue and expenses

Consumers are using their debit and credit cards less, and that's causing a decline in interchange income for credit unions and banks.

The largest credit union in the world increased its provision by 28% from a year earlier.

Citizens, Regions and others say business investments initiated before the COVID-19 pandemic, including technology improvements and new consumer offerings, are on track.

By helping borrowers now, banks hope customers can quickly catch up on payments once the coronavirus pandemic ends. If they can’t, interest income will remain low and charge-offs could pile up if the crisis drags on.

The Massachusetts-based credit union said its strong financial position will help it better serve members as the coronavirus crisis deepens.

WSFS, in an effort to catch up with bigger rivals, plans to upgrade digital channels in three years instead of five.

Community banks are entering the business as intermediaries to counter the pinch of low loan yields and intense competition on spread income.

The tight labor market and public pressure to raise minimum wages are expected to nudge noninterest expenses upward in a year when the watchword is cost control.

Certain loan segments are showing signs of deterioration, but consumer lending and digital banking are bright spots. Meanwhile, bankers are eyeing opportunities to improve efficiency, add scale and take advantage of M&A disruption. Here's what to expect from smaller regionals in the year ahead.

The company has revised its near-term forecasts for reducing expenses, citing delayed branch closings and a decision to spend more time testing systems ahead of conversion and integration.

The Georgia bank's operating costs rose in the fourth quarter, but executives sought to assure shareholders that investments will produce revenue growth in the long run.

Commercial lending was sluggish in 2019, but leaders at Huntington, KeyCorp and M&T are encouraged that rates are stabilizing and business sentiment is improving.

While the New York bank has a handle on deposit pricing, Joseph DePaolo said a new accounting standard will play tricks with how it addresses credit quality.

The Southeast banks expect to complete their merger by midyear, hit their savings targets and still be able to invest in growth, according to Bryan Jordan.

Brian Moynihan said banks must be mindful of pricing and risk as they contend with lower yields on loans and securities.

The Charlie Scharf era began with the company's lowest quarterly net income in more than nine years. Culprits included falling revenue, rising salaries and yet more financial fallout from the bank's sales scandal.

With loan demand weak due to factors beyond their control, small-bank execs can expect to field lots of questions about capital and expense management.

Paul Murphy took full responsibility for a recent spike in charge-offs at the Houston company. His challenge in 2020 is keeping credit issues in check.

Savings institutions are aggressively cutting staff and shortening hours to be more competitive. As a result they have become more efficient than commercial banks.

The rapid pace of technological change will force financial services companies to invest in more efficient digital offerings for clients, eliminate jobs and retrain staff to focus on higher-value work, according to an Accenture report.