Strategic planning

Live Oak Bancshares took two years developing a loan for cemetery operators, a group that faces challenges with financing for property improvements.

The move provides a strong hint of the long-term succession plan CEO Leon Holschbach is putting in place.

The Alabama company, as part of an efficiency effort, is streamlining its organizational structure and creating a division focused on community engagement.

A debate is brewing about whether rising rates mean banks must pay more to hold onto deposits from city and county governments — and whether they are worth it. Some would say no question on both counts, while others say it all depends on the financial strategy of the client and how badly the bank needs that client.

The bank will spend an additional $1.4 billion on technology in 2018 to gain share and boost efficiency, executives said Tuesday. But they were peppered with questions about whether the big investment will yield a big financial return down the road.

A mix of tax sweeteners and a lower cost of living has prompted banks such as MUFG Americas, Northern Trust and Bank of the West to locate corporate-level jobs in Phoenix and surrounding areas.

The company will still use the building for its main office, but it will move its administrative staff to another building.

You read that right. Community bankers hope efforts by JPMorgan Chase, Amazon and Berkshire Hathaway will drive down health care costs — and maybe create products or services they can use.

In the wake of President Trump’s tax cut, banks would be wise to take the time to explore investment opportunities before returning increased profits to shareholders.

Executives at U.S. Bancorp and Bank of America plan to use their tax savings to ramp up spending on new technology to stay competitive — but they sought to reassure investors that they would not abandon cost control.

Costs fell less than 1% to $54.7 billion in 2017, and its goal for 2018 is $53 billion. Analysts question whether revenue growth and tax relief will reduce the incentive to get leaner.

Wealth management assets, deposits and fee income swelled at the San Francisco bank, but interest and noninterest costs rose along with them.

Changing political and economic forces are raising new questions about deployment of tax savings and the cost of deposits, while old concerns about cost-cutting, credit quality and risk-taking persist or return.

The company said it will lay off more than a dozen employees in a move that reflects the current volume of mortgage loan originations.

The company has been working to address an informal agreement with regulators tied to Bank Secrecy Act compliance.

The Tennessee company also set high expectations for revenue opportunities while projecting it will deliver a 15% return on equity in 2019.

There’s a reason there’s a universe of memes dedicated to ‘we fear change.’ But you want a new way of things to go viral in a good way. Here’s how to do it.

For remaking East West Bank from a small savings institution into a $36.3 billion-asset player with a seat on the front lines of U.S.-China relations — all while churning out record earnings year after year — American Banker is recognizing Ng for being a "Consistent Performer" as part of our 2017 Banker of the Year awards.

Blue Lion Capital believes a heavy focus on mortgages and acquisitions is hurting HomeStreet's financial performance.

Bridge Bancorp, which plans to rebrand is bank as BNB Bank, also plans to boost 2018 profit by $3.3 million by closing 14% of its branches.