Expense management

Larger banks are responsible for a special assessment to cover the costs of the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. The price tag has ballooned by $4.1 billion, and trade groups are criticizing the FDIC's process, arguing that it lacks transparency.

Despite a surge in quarterly expenses in the fourth quarter and a projected uptick in the first quarter, the North Carolina company is standing by its expense guidance for 2024.

The Pittsburgh-based regional bank expects to save $325 million next year as it reduces its staff by 4%. Executives said the cuts are necessary because revenue has fallen amid a surge in interest rates and a decline in loan volumes.

The Canadian bank initially told investors the acquisition would result in more than $350 million in cost savings. But a recent analysis suggests that number could be even higher.

Headcount at the nation's second-largest bank has fallen by around 1,000 since the end of last month. More job reductions are in the works after noninterest expenses rose by 6% during the first quarter.

The latest expense guidance also stems from rising operating losses at the North Carolina bank. Cost-cutting was a key rationale for the 2019 merger of BB&T and SunTrust, which created Truist.

The nation's largest bank indicated Monday that it may again offer home equity lines of credit to a wide audience. Rising mortgage rates have made the product more attractive after a long drought when low rates suppressed demand.

Bank of America is moving three months early on its most recent plan to raise its hourly base pay. “Until the labor market eases, the weight of wage growth is going to be strong,” CEO Brian Moynihan said during a CNBC interview.

The company said it had cut 20 positions and found a way to shed 35,000 square feet of office space by the end of 2020.

As the consumer lender announced its seventh consecutive profitable quarter, its CEO bragged that his company is better positioned than the likes of Goldman Sachs and LendingClub.