Community banking

Marquette Bank is proof that community banks don't have to be the fastest or flashiest to compete with online lenders. Instead, the Chicago bank closely mirrored fintech offerings while promoting personal service to set itself apart.

The U.S. banking arm of the Dutch lender Rabobank has forfeited nearly $370 million for anti-money laundering deficiencies that authorities say allowed untraceable money transfers on behalf of criminals.

Its latest partner, Mantl, has built software that lets consumers open accounts in four minutes. In such alliances Radius seeks expertise it lacks, gets heavily involved in product development, and tries to balance the spirit of innovation with the demands of compliance.

At least eight banks are in various stages of formation, including two that have opened. While that is nowhere near the de novo activity of the early 2000s, it's a positively brisk pace compared with the standstill that existed for many years after the financial crisis.

Several banks suffered fourth-quarter hits when they reduced the value of certain energy investments. Still, renewable energy could remain a viable business thanks to other benefits embedded in the tax law.