BNY Surges Past Wall Street's Expectations
Bank of New York Mellon posted a record fourth‑quarter revenue of $5.18 billion, up 7% year over year, and net income of $1.47 billion, a 27% increase. Earnings per share came in at $2.02, beating analysts’ $1.90 consensus by 12 cents. The bank set a new medium‑term target of 28% return on tangible common equity within three to five years, close to its current 26.6% level. It also highlighted rapid AI adoption, with 117 production models and over 100 digital employees supporting operations.
JPMorgan's Profit Dips as It Preps for Apple Card Portfolio
JPMorgan reported fourth‑quarter net income of $13 billion, but earnings per share fell to $4.63, missing forecasts after a one‑time $2.2 billion credit‑loss provision tied to its expanding credit‑card business. The bank will replace Goldman Sachs as the platform for Apple’s $20 billion...
It Used to Be a Fintech Partner. Now the Bank Is Buying It.
Coastal Financial, a $4.6 billion community bank, announced the acquisition of GreenFi, its longest‑standing fintech partner, to avert a cash crunch and buy time for a strategic review. GreenFi, a climate‑focused challenger bank spun out of the bankrupt Aspiration, raised $17 million...
Legal Battle Sours Merger Between San Diego Credit Unions
San Diego County Credit Union (SDCCU) and California Coast Credit Union (Cal Coast) have entered a legal dispute that threatens their planned merger, which would create a $13 billion asset institution serving over 600,000 members. SDCCU issued a termination notice and...
Prosperity Bancshares Closes One M&A Deal, Gets Thumbs-Up for Another
Prosperity Bancshares completed its $322 million acquisition of American Bank Holding Corp., adding 18 branches across Central and South Texas. The bank also secured Federal Reserve approval to purchase Southwest Bancshares, a $2.4 billion‑asset institution with 11 additional branches. Combined, the deals...
'Chaotic Web' Of Tech Keeps Bank Fraud Victims in Limbo
The article recounts a consumer’s six‑week ordeal after a smishing attack led her bank to block both credit and debit cards, while fraudsters continued to use the compromised account. It highlights how legacy mainframe cores and fragmented software across branches,...
As QT Ends, Bank Regulators Now Hold the Real Growth Lever
The Federal Reserve has ended its quantitative‑tightening program, shifting the primary engine of U.S. growth to commercial‑bank lending. At the same time, recent executive orders have put a central‑bank digital dollar on hold, leaving private‑bank‑issued stablecoins and deposits as the...
How Trump's Institutional Investor Homebuying Ban Could Impact Loans
President Trump is pushing bipartisan legislation to bar large institutional investors from buying single‑family homes, echoing a Democratic effort to improve housing affordability. Data shows institutional owners hold roughly 0.4% of the nation’s single‑family inventory, with only 2% of investor‑owned...
OCC Moves to Formalize Non-Fiduciary Activities for Trust Banks
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued a proposed rule that formally authorizes national trust companies to engage in non‑fiduciary activities, replacing ambiguous language with a clear regulatory definition. The change codifies practices that already support roughly...
Fed to Reopen Penny Deposits After Industry Outcry
The Federal Reserve announced that, starting Jan. 14, it will once again accept penny deposits from banks and credit unions at all commercial coin‑distribution locations. The reversal follows industry backlash after the Fed halted penny intake at many terminals last fall,...
Broad Global Uptake of Dollar-Denominated Stablecoins Is No Sure Thing
President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act, creating a U.S. framework for dollar‑denominated stablecoins. Analysts forecast the market could reach $3 trillion by 2030, a ten‑fold increase. However, most other jurisdictions lack comparable rules, and many are likely to impose limits...
Small California Bank Lands Investment From Local Farm Giant
Pacific Valley Bank announced that Taylor Fresh Foods has taken a 16.3% ownership stake, including 9.9% of common shares, in the Salinas‑based community bank. The capital infusion is intended to fund organic growth as the bank’s assets have risen from...
Rep. Hill Rolls Out Community Bank Deregulation Package
House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill unveiled a community‑bank deregulation package aimed at curbing regulatory "flip‑flop" when administrations change. The bill proposes tailoring provisions, eliminating reputational‑risk components from examinations, standardizing stress tests, raising size thresholds and redefining brokered deposits....
Bowman Details Regulatory Relief Agenda for Community Banks
Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman announced a potential overhaul of the regulatory framework for community banks. She proposes separating community‑bank oversight from larger institutions, updating asset thresholds by indexing them to nominal GDP, and reducing data‑reporting burdens....
Lloyds Pushes Tokenized Deposits
Lloyds Banking Group issued a tokenized deposit on the public Canton Network and used it to purchase a UK gilt, marking one of the first real‑world applications of blockchain‑based deposit tokens. The move highlights banks’ push to offer tokenized deposits...
How Non-Payments Became Big Business at Visa and Mastercard
Visa and Mastercard are rapidly expanding value‑added services to offset slowing card‑payment growth and mounting regulatory pressure. Mastercard posted $3.4 billion in VAS net revenue, a 25% year‑over‑year rise, while Visa’s VAS reached $17.5 billion, up 9% YoY. Both networks are forging...
Restricting Industrial Loan Charters Would Be Bad for the Economy
Industrial banks, regulated and FDIC‑insured, provide crucial credit to small businesses, gig workers, and underserved Main Street enterprises. Since their creation in 1987, only one has failed, and capital ratios are roughly 50 % above industry averages, indicating strong safety. Proponents...
Venezuela-Focused Crypto Startup Loses $341K in Cybertheft
Kontigo, a Venezuela‑focused crypto fintech, reported a cyber‑theft that drained about $341,000 USDC from 1,005 user accounts. The company said it has fully refunded the affected users despite losing access to U.S. banking partners like JPMorgan Chase and Checkbook due...
Yield Issue in Play as Senate Looks to Crypto Bill Markup
The Senate Banking Committee is poised to mark up a crypto market‑structure bill as early as next week, despite lingering partisan gaps. Lawmakers are debating provisions that would curb stable‑coin issuers from offering yield‑like rewards, a practice the American Bankers...
Bankers Fear Economic Struggle in 2026
American Banker’s 2026 Predictions survey of 174 banking executives highlights growing anxiety over tariff volatility, recession and stagflation, and a volatile regulatory environment. Eighty‑eight percent expect tariff shocks, while more than half forecast a U.S. recession and global slowdown, and...
Fifth Third-Comerica Deal Easily Wins Shareholder Approval
Fifth Third and Comerica secured near‑unanimous shareholder support for their $10.9 billion merger, with 99.7% and 97% votes respectively. The combined entity would hold about $288 billion in assets, making it one of the decade’s largest bank deals. Despite the approvals, the...
FDIC Watchdog Pushes Back on Ernst Whistleblower Claims
The FDIC’s Inspector General Jennifer Fain responded to Sen. Joni Ernst’s whistleblower allegations, concluding that most claims of fraud, favoritism, and misused travel funds were unsupported or already resolved. Internal reviews found no irregular year‑end Deposit Insurance Fund spending, justified...
Why the CFPB's EWA Opinion Won't Dramatically Impact Fintechs
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued an advisory opinion stating that employer‑partnered earned‑wage‑access (EWA) products are not credit under the Truth in Lending Act, dropping the earlier free‑product requirement and loosening payroll‑deduction rules. While fintechs view the guidance as validation...
The CFPB's Small-Dollar Lending Rule Has Clearly Backfired on Consumers
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s 2017 small‑dollar lending rule, revived in 2025, imposed strict payment‑attempt limits and mandatory notices. Online Lenders Alliance data show the rule has driven higher delinquency, default and collection rates, while forcing lenders to tighten credit...
Overdraft Fee Income Is on the Rise at These Big Banks
Several large U.S. banks, including JPMorgan Chase, Citizens Financial and TD Bank, reported higher overdraft‑related revenue in the first three quarters of 2025, with JPMorgan up 7.66% and Citizens up 16.9% year‑over‑year. The increases come despite overall overdraft income remaining...
Marquis Breach Toll Rises to 80 Banks, 824,000 Consumers
A ransomware attack on marketing vendor Marquis Software Solutions has been revealed to have compromised personal data of at least 823,548 customers across 80 banks and credit unions. Internal emails suggest Marquis paid the Akira group to keep the stolen...