Data Sets

U.S. Bank accelerates branch closings as more customers go digital; Capital One fined $290M for 'willful' anti-money-laundering failures; incoming Citi CEO Fraser signals major changes ahead; and more from this week's most-read stories.

COVID-19’s impact on travel has been dramatic, and it has forced both consumers and travel executives to re-imagine what travel will look like going forward.

The administration faces a slew of immediate financial policy tasks, such as passing a new round of small-business aid, charting a course for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and filling vacant agency leadership posts.

South African bank's approach to chatbots offers lessons for U.S. players; small lenders embrace automation for latest PPP round; flush with capital, Canadian banks eye U.S. acquisitions; and more from this week's most-read stories.

Some companies cut off the flow of cash to insurrectionists, while others put a halt to their political spending. Their actions came quickly after the events of Jan. 6.

Wells Fargo gets released from one enforcement order, still has 10 to go; tax hikes and tougher regulators among possibilities waiting for banks with Democratic sweep; next round of PPP has more incentives for smaller lenders; and more from this week’s most-read stories.

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 saw some businesses become big winners — such as Zoom, Home Depot and payments companies like PayPal — while other businesses suffered heavily, most notably the travel and hospitality industries. Credit card issuers also suffered, as demand lagged heavily for new cards and their overall spending dropped considerably during the year.

The year — and the coronavirus pandemic — caused a dramatic shift in attitude. Many consumers and merchants now saw contactless cards and mobile payments as a way to move ahead without the germ fears that come with touching cash and PIN pads. And even after those fears subsided, the new habits stuck around.

The National Credit Union Administration may get a new leader, several institutions could seek to expand their fields of membership, and a pot banking fight may reemerge.

In a year rife with uncertainty about, well, pretty much everything, it's not surprising that a list of American Banker's most-read stories in 2020 would be dominated by accounts of lenders and regulators trying to navigate the Paycheck Protection Program on the fly.

From dealing with a flood of deposits to working with examiners virtually, credit unions were forced to quickly adapt to a new normal after the pandemic hit. Here's a look at some of the biggest changes and challenges they faced.

Remote online notarization helped originators close loans amid social distancing measures, but complex local laws remain a barrier to its widespread use.

The National Credit Union Administration juggled several challenges this year beyond the pandemic recession, including an inspector general's report about alleged misconduct by two former employees and criticism that board members had lost their old spirit of comity.

Government officials and many bankers remain wary of digital currencies, but they'll have to learn to live with them. Here are 15 stories about how cryptocurrencies and the technology underlying them are becoming more embedded in the financial industry.

Fallout from the coronavirus pandemic consumed the industry this year, but other events, including a scandal at the National Credit Union Administration and a credit union under fire for lack of board diversity, also made waves.

The year 2020 was disruptive and chaotic. And while it derailed or delayed some companies' plans for growth, it also created opportunities for new combinations — or, at the very least, didn't slow them down.

For better or worse, financial firms are often cast as villains, but in this year marked by pandemic, economic hardship and protests over racial injustice, they have often been a force for good. Here are 11 stories (and one gallery) of how banks, fintechs and others in the industry stepped up in 2020 to address inequality and help employees, customers and communities in need.

A look back at a year in which little went according to plan for credit unions.

In 2020, the news in Washington was dominated by the regulatory impact of COVID-19 and presidential politics. There was also a new rule changing how national banks will be examined under the Community Reinvestment Act, and the 10th anniversary of Dodd-Frank. Here is a look back at stories from the past year.

While there has been a general trend of paying people faster for work already performed, starting with gig workers, COVID-19 has created (or exposed) many issues that are fueling the shift toward on-demand pay, especially for hourly workers.