To Fee or Not to Fee, That is the Real Question
In 2025, while 85 U.S. banks reported zero domestic service charges, six large banks continued to generate more than 55% of all bank service‑fee income. Industrywide, bank service‑fees are rising modestly, but remain below 2019 (pre-pandemic) levels. A list of…
Measuring Bank Performance: Beyond Net Income
The Federal Reserve held rates steady at 3.5%-3.75%, prompting a review of bank profitability beyond net interest margins. This analysis focuses on Return on Assets (ROA), highlighting the 50 banks with ROAs of 2.83% or higher at year‑end 2025. Profitability…
New Credit Union Star Ratings Now Available
Fourth‑quarter 2025 Bauer star ratings for all federally insured credit unions are now available. The share of recommended credit unions (5-Stars or 4-Stars) slipped from 86% to 84%, while the share rated 2‑Stars or below also declined-leaving more institutions in the…