Revenue and expenses

The company will incur an upfront fee but will save $7 million a year by walking away from a deal with the Los Angeles Football Club.

Thomas Lopp cited health reasons for leaving Sterling Bancorp less than six months after becoming CEO. Sterling has been dealing with revenue issues after shutting down its biggest lending program over underwriting concerns.

By helping borrowers now, banks hope customers can quickly catch up on payments once the coronavirus pandemic ends. If they can’t, interest income will remain low and charge-offs could pile up if the crisis drags on.

Community banks are entering the business as intermediaries to counter the pinch of low loan yields and intense competition on spread income.

Certain loan segments are showing signs of deterioration, but consumer lending and digital banking are bright spots. Meanwhile, bankers are eyeing opportunities to improve efficiency, add scale and take advantage of M&A disruption. Here's what to expect from smaller regionals in the year ahead.