“Large U.S. banks took $11.68 billion in overdraft fees out of their customers’ accounts last year, even before the pandemic kicked off an economic crisis, according to research by the Center for Responsible Lending. Vulnerable people were by far the hardest hit: Nine percent of account holders paid 84 percent of the overdraft fees, according to the review, which focused on banks with assets of more than $1 billion. Those customers tended to carry low balances, averaging less than $350.”

“Customers at some banks across the country were temporarily unable to access their accounts online or through mobile apps on Wednesday, shortly after the first round of government stimulus checks started landing in bank accounts. Customers reported trouble accessing account information at JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Inc., U.S. Bancorp, PNC Financial Services Group and Truist Financial Corp., among others.”

“The worst is behind for India’s embattled Yes Bank, or so the country’s central bank has assured nervous depositors and investors. Yet, the recent feverish behaviour of the private lender translates into an epidemic-like scenario for India’s troubled banking sector. In a hurriedly-called press conference yesterday (March 16), Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das assured all stakeholders that its reconstruction plan for Yes Bank is credible and sustainable.”

“Most of Canada’s five big banks — BMO, CIBC, RBC, Scotiabank and TD — recently updated their electronic banking agreements, so Go Public asked an expert to assess how well they balance the banks’ liabilities against customer protections. The news is not good for millions of customers. “They are so one-sided and benefit the banks to such a degree that there is no way that I would call these bargained agreements,” said Anthony Daimsis, a professor of contract law at the University of Ottawa.”

“Lloyds Banking Group confirmed that it will close 56 bank branches across the U.K., as customer preferences continue to move toward digital banking and reduced dependence on physical branches.  The group, which has more branches than any other financial institution across the U.K., includes Lloyds Bank, Bank of Scotland, Halifax and several other mortgage, auto finance and wealth management brands.”

“The coworking and event space is just one of several of Berkshire’s planned brick-and-mortar locations that aren’t banks at all. Internally, the bank calls them storefronts, but they could be coworking locations, retail stores, or other possibilities. They’re all branded as Reevx (“Reev-ex”) Labs. Berkshire is planning to open more of them across its seven-state footprint in the Northeast. The storefronts are just one of several initiatives Lazu is shaping from her new position, all oriented toward bridging historic gaps between mainstream banks and communities of color.”

“CIT’s national direct bank, CIT Bank , today announced the launch of eChecking , a new digital checking account featuring no monthly fee, up to .25% APY and an ATM Fee reimbursement of up to $15 a month. To enhance the banking experience, the new account also features a wide variety of electronic transfer and payment solutions, including debit card controls, Zelle®1, Bill Pay, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.”

“A decade after fueling a crisis that nearly brought down the global financial system, America’s banks are ruling it. They earned 62% of global investment-banking fees last year, up from 53% in 2011, according to Coalition, an industry data provider. Last year, U.S. banks took home $7 of every $10 in merger fees, $6 of every $10 in stock commissions, and $6 of every $10 paid to hold and move corporate cash.”

“JPMorgan Chase & Co’s consumer banking unit said on Wednesday it will open up to 90 branches in new U.S. markets, in the face of intensifying competition for loans and deposits among the country’s three biggest banks. JPMorgan, Bank of America Corp, and Wells Fargo & Co are nip and tuck in deposits. Bank of America, in early 2018, had decided to open more than 500 new branches across the United States by 2021.”

“Big banks have been closing branches in lower-income areas and shifting more of their attention to wealthier ones, according to a new report from Bloomberg. Overall, there’s been a trend among the biggest banks—specifically J.P. Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America—to reduce their branch networks. Relying on ATMs and online banking is less expensive. According to S&P Global data analyzed by Bloomberg, banks have shut 1,915 more branches in lower-income areas than they opened between 2014 and 2018, with J.P. Morgan, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America at the front of the trend.”

“The percentage of customers who prefer to transact in branches declined to 26 percent from 38 percent in 2016, the study found. Branches are still among the factors McKinsey uses to determine opportunities to gain market share, but marketing, digital tools and customer satisfaction are becoming more influential.”

“Goyal framed the session by pointing out to the tug-of-war between traditional financial services businesses and technology companies in collecting and using financial data, as well as the intensifying moves of tech companies into financial services.”