Tax cuts

Readers respond to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's overhaul of its payday loans rule, debate reforms to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, consider regulatory exemptions for regional banks and more.

Depending on the asset class, about 11%-18% of earnings per share came from tax savings. The looming question is how do they top themselves in 2019 when tax rates don’t change like they did this year.

Banks were helped by better loan spreads thanks to higher net interest margins, but the recently enacted tax cut helped boost profits by 27% from a year earlier.

The Pittsburgh bank opted to give more than half of its employees $2,000 pay hikes instead of the bonuses handed out by many rivals.

The booming U.S. economy continues to fuel earnings at Toronto-Dominion Bank — and President Trump's tax cuts will only make things better.

As U.S. banks were tallying up the billions of dollars in extra profits they'll reap from the sweeping tax cuts signed into law by President Donald Trump, they were quietly delivering unwelcome news to local governments: The interest rates on their loans were about to go up.

The Chicago custody bank won new fund-administration business and benefited from the acquisition of a UBS asset-management unit. A one-time adjustment tied to the new tax law also provided a boost.

Look for banks to boost dividend payouts, expand into new markets, increase their tech spending and, eventually, ramp up their C&I lending. But don't expect much in the way of M&A.

Buying Capital Bank Financial helped boost revenue by 17% in the fourth quarter, but one-time charges related to recent tax cuts dragged down the Memphis company's profits.

Executives of large banks told investors and analysts what they wanted to hear Friday when they said they plan to increase returns to shareholders.