Bank of America

Costs fell less than 1% to $54.7 billion in 2017, and its goal for 2018 is $53 billion. Analysts question whether revenue growth and tax relief will reduce the incentive to get leaner.

Tax reform and other regulatory factors could allow Citigroup — and other banks — to maintain high capital levels and strong rewards for shareholders.

The move follows a shareholder proposal filed by Boston-based Arjuna Capital and is the first of its kind by a big U.S. bank.

Bank of America has opened a flagship branch downtown and plans several so-called robo branches across the city. It has used a similar strategy to enter new markets in the past year.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau dominated three of the top most read stories of last year, while Ripple upstart seized two. Other highlights included our annual Women in Banking package, the aftermath of the Equifax data breach and news of Amazon's possible banking plans.