Risk management

Some bankers spread the religion of this year's feel-good World Economic Forum, but others were more circumspect. The list of potential threats remains lengthy — including trade wars and the bursting of the bitcoin bubble — and all pose risks to banks and the economy.

Financial firms have mostly shrugged off the government's budget woes, but Washington's gridlock might pose a bigger risk than they think.

The wave of sexual harassment claims has forced a very public reckoning in certain industries, but financial services firms had largely escaped the spotlight. The departure of a Bank of America executive could signal that the industry has problems lurking behind the scenes.

Wells may have settled with former employee Claudia Ponce de Leon because it wanted to avoid the "massive exposure" of a jury trial, an expert says. It is unclear how the agreement will affect Wells’ other cases.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions did not keep the rest of Washington apprised of his plan to rescind an Obama-era memo on pot. Now Fincen and other federal banking agencies are dealing with the backlash from that decision.

The San Francisco bank said that Michael Loughlin's departure is unrelated to the sales scandal that has dogged the company for the last 16 months.

The disclosure of a key part of Wells Fargo's exam rating is fueling speculation that further regulatory action may soon be taken against the megabank and raising renewed questions about its regulator's oversight.

The McLean, Va., company said that the personnel moves were unrelated to either its financial performance or its risk performance.

Examiners focus too much on how many suspicious activity reports banks file and too little on the true riskiness of their activities, according to lawmakers and industry representatives.

The proposal lays out principles in three critical areas: the effectiveness of senior management, handling of the firm’s business line and the independent risk management structures within a banking organization.