M&T Bank takes a slow and steady approach to private credit

CEO René Jones told American Banker that private-credit firms are both partners and competitors. “Today, one of the concerns is that we don’t have that full transparency, as much as we would like. And so we have to be cautious as we move in that direction,” he said.

Regions accelerates plan to refresh its branch network

The Alabama-based regional bank plans to open 135 to 150 branches over the next five years, while closing the same number. Regions’ decision to accelerate its timeline by two years comes as large and regional banks try to capture more market share in the Southeast.

Democratic AGs sue HUD over fair housing guidance

A coalition of Democratic attorneys general, led by California and Illinois, have sued the Department of Housing and Urban Development over a guidance that they argue will scale back enforcement to strict federal standards and threaten state funding to enforce fair housing laws.

Fed inquiry into checks has bankers fearing ‘disaster’

The Federal Reserve’s recently published request for information on options for updating its check clearing apparatus has bankers fearing that it will opt to phase out paper checks entirely — an outcome that has community banks panicked.

Federal court rules against CFPB in funding lawsuit

A federal judge ruled that acting Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director Russell Vought unlawfully refused to request agency funding from the Federal Reserve Board, dealing a procedural blow to a legal argument that the Fed can only fund the CFPB when it turns a profit.