Bank channel

Regions Insurance opened a new office in Columbia, S.C., its first in South Carolina. The new office is the third significant addition to Regions Insurance in the last six months.

In the second quarter of 2013, wealth management and investment services generated $8.9 million in income, up $1.7 million, or 23%, from a year ago.

Two wealth management giants, JPMorgan and Wells Fargo, kicked off the second quarter with record earnings despite market and interest rate volatility.

Four key senators introduced a bill Thursday that would effectively reinstate a Depression-era law that separated the investment and commercial sides of U.S. banks.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren and her colleagues are working to drum up support for a new bipartisan bill that would bring back a Depression-era law separating commercial and investment banks.

Andrea Kaempf, formerly of Bank of America, will lead the personal wealth team of U.S. Bank’s Private Client Reserve HNW unit in Washington State.

The wealth manager hired a sales director and a senior mortgage banker in Washington and added seven wealth professionals to the Philadelphia team.

The tools were developed to help the “woefully low” number of people on track for a secure retirement and compel them to take action.

The banks saw increases in year-over-year comparisons on every gauge measured by an industry survey—average bank production increased 9% for the first quarter.

The bank trust channel is an important one despite a modest growth outlook.

U.S. banks with $50 billion of assets or less will probably pursue more mergers in the next 18 months to contend with higher regulatory costs and competition for loans, Fitch Ratings said.

Banks could boost the profitability of their wealth management programs if they integrated their private banking, trust and brokerage businesses.

One expert predicts that at least half of the top 30 U.S. banks will move advisors to a salary-based compensation system in the next two to three years.

The Boston company said it is realigning to better serve advisors in the independent, bank, broker-dealer and family office channels.

UBS AG, the Swiss lender shrinking its investment banking business, overtook Bank of America Corp. to top a ranking of the world’s biggest wealth managers compiled by Scorpio Partnership.

For years banks treated certificates of deposit almost as an afterthought. But with loan demand expected to pick up with the economy, some are eyeing ways to lock investors into longer-term CDs now — before rates inevitably rise.

Wealth management advisors must strike a balance between recognizing investment differences between men and women and avoiding stereotypes when courting female prospects.

The Milford, Mass.-based bank was drawn to Infinex’s technology and lead generation process.

JPMorgan Chase's and U.S. Trust's mobile apps for high-net-worth individuals shared the top ranking among U.S. firms in a report published Monday by MyPrivateBanking Research.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren may have a reputation as the banking industry's toughest foe, but behind the scenes she's formed a growing alliance with community banks, a widespread and politically powerful group.