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NEW YORK, March 29 (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp's (BAC.N) digital personal finance tool, Life Plan, has attracted more than $55 billion in new money since its launch in late 2020, as customers use technology to set financial goals. Life Plan, which has more than 10 million users, enables customers to set goals such as saving for a vacation or college or to build a retirement fund. BofA's app allows customers to move money around their bank and brokerage accounts, as well as pull in funds from other institutions, David Tyrie, chief digital officer at Bank of America, told Reuters. While millennials and Gen-Z account for 63% of the app's users, Gen X and baby boomers make up 38%. Reporting by Lananh Nguyen and Nupur Anand in New York; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Las Vegas, March 29 (Reuters) - Consumer and mid-sized banks are planning to monitor their internal processes more closely and hold more frequent discussions with regulators as the industry tries to move forward from weeks of turmoil, industry executives say. She spoke as senior executives from regional and mid-sized U.S. banks gathered alongside regulators for the association's annual conference this week. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra said regulators were focused on maintaining stability of the financial system. In recent weeks, President Joe Biden, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and industry executives have made public statements aimed at reassuring depositors. "The banking system is pretty sound," and large and regional banks are well-capitalized, Citigroup Inc (C.N) CEO Jane Fraser said last week.

March 28 (Reuters) - The recent failures of mid-size U.S. lenders show the need for more robust risk management at banks and fintechs, along with improved regulation, the head of the top consumer financial watchdog agency said on Tuesday. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra told a gathering of retail bankers in Las Vegas that regulators were looking at liquidity, interest-rate risk management, capital frameworks, resolution planning and stress testing. "It will be good for the industry to have some honest conversations with itself about what is the way for the regulatory framework to not create this type of risk," Chopra said. As head of the CFPB, Chopra also sits on the board of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which took over failed Silicon Valley Bank earlier this month. He also serves on the Financial Stability Oversight Council, created in the wake of the 2008 crash.

LAS VEGAS, March 28 (Reuters) - Mid-sized U.S. lenders are getting creative as they try to hang onto customer deposits after two bank failures rattled consumers and spurred a $119 billion exodus from small institutions in recent weeks. Industry executives discussed strategies to bolster trust in their institutions at an annual meeting of the Consumer Bankers Association conference on Monday in Las Vegas. Paying higher rates on deposits is the most common way to make them stick, executives said. Despite the recent flight in deposits to large banks, one banker at a mid-sized bank said they were confident the lender could survive the recent exodus. Reporting by Tatiana Bautzer and Nupur Anand in Las Vegas; Editing by Lananh Nguyen and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Regulators shuttered Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank, the second and third largest closures in the nation's history. Authorities then took unprecedented action to backstop the collapsed companies' deposits and introduced new measures to shore up confidence. The ups and downs may have helped banks' trading desks as choppy markets fueled client activity. While billions of dollars of those deposits landed at the biggest banks, some analysts said the influx was unlikely to provide a major boost to their earnings. Investors are becoming increasingly focused on the rising cost of funding for banks, which could weigh on earnings, analysts at Piper Sandler wrote in a note last week.

☆ 'Most vulnerable' U.S. banks lost $1 trillion in deposits in a year -JPMorgan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Nupur Anand | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoNew YORK, March 23 (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co analysts estimate that the "most vulnerable" U.S. banks are likely to have lost a total of about $1 trillion in deposits since last year, with half of the outflows occurring in March following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. The team of JPMorgan (JPM.N) analysts led by Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou did not name any of the banks they categorized as "most vulnerable" or say how many they included in this group. Of the $17 trillion of total U.S. bank deposits, nearly $7 trillion are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC), the JPMorgan analysts wrote. Rising U.S. interest rates, and banks' sluggish moves to raise the rates they pay depositors, have also contributed to the outflows in the last year, the JPMorgan analysts said. Out of the $1 trillion in deposits that were pulled out of the most vulnerable U.S. lenders, half went to government money market funds, while the other half landed at larger U.S. banks, the analysts wrote.

March 22 (Reuters) - U.S. authorities are set to explore ways to bolster financial stability, along with steps to tackle the problems facing First Republic Bank, as central banks assess whether turmoil in banking makes interest rate rises less pressing. SVB's collapse kicked off a tumultuous 10 days for banks which led to the 3 billion Swiss franc ($3.2 billion) Swiss engineered takeover of Credit Suisse by rival UBS (UBSG.S). While that deal brought some respite to battered banking stocks, U.S. lender First Republic (FRC.N) remains firmly in the spotlight. Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics'HEAD IN SAND'The wipeout of Credit Suisse's Additional Tier-1 (AT1) bondholders has sent shockwaves through bank debt markets. For now, the Swiss bank rescue appears to have assuaged the worst fears of systemic contagion, boosting shares of European banks (.SX7P) and U.S. lenders (.SPXBK).

But an unexpected jump in UK inflation last month led investors to bet heavily that the Bank of England will raise interest rates by at least another 25 bps on Thursday. SVB's collapse kicked off a tumultuous 10 days for banks which led to the 3 billion Swiss franc ($3.2 billion) Swiss regulator-engineered takeover of Credit Suisse by rival UBS. While that deal brought some respite to battered banking stocks, U.S. lender First Republic remains firmly in the spotlight. First Republic (FRC.N) shares fell 9% in extended trade on Tuesday, having surged as much as 60% at one stage. For now, the Swiss bank rescue appears to have assuaged the worst fears of systemic contagion, boosting shares of European banks (.SX7P) and U.S. lenders (.SPXBK).

The Fed's relentless rate hikes to rein in inflation have been partly blamed for sparking the biggest meltdown in the banking sector since the 2008 financial crisis. For now, Credit Suisse's rescue appears to have assuaged the worst fears of systemic contagion, boosting shares of European banks (.SX7P) and U.S. regional lenders. The S&P 500 banks index (.SPXBK) rallied 3.6%, its largest one-day gain since November. Still, Australia's prudential regulator has started asking the country's banks to declare their exposure to startups and crypto-focused ventures following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, according to the Australian Financial Review. Market cap of US regional banks included in the S&P 500 regional bank indexDeputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said a review of the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and rival Signature Bank was in order.

☆ First Republic seeks new ways to escape unrealized losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

March 21 (Reuters) - First Republic Bank's (FRC.N) efforts to secure a capital infusion continued without success on Tuesday, as the troubled regional lender started to plan for the possibility it may need to downsize or get a government backstop. Bloomberg News reported U.S. officials and Wall Street leaders seeking to aid First Republic were exploring the possibility of government backing that would help overcome the issue of the bank's unrealized losses. JPMorgan is advising First Republic on its options to raise capital from investors, a source familiar with the situation previously said. "There are a number of factors lifting the (financial) stocks, including the comments by Yellen. "We believe First Republic remains in crisis," said Jason Benowitz, senior portfolio manager at CI Roosevelt.

☆ First Republic slumps after report of potential government backing in deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

March 21 (Reuters) - Shares of First Republic Bank (FRC.N) tumbled 14% in extended trade on Tuesday following a report that a potential deal for the troubled bank could rely on government backing to encourage buyers. Potential government backing in a deal to save First National could involve conditions at the expense of the bank's shareholders, said Dennis Dick, a trader at Triple D Trading in Ontario, Canada. While a sale of the entire bank remains possible, First Republic is currently focused on raising capital, the third source said. First Republic's shares had surged as much as 60% on Tuesday before closing up 30%, but even so First Republic's stock has lost over 80% in value in the past two weeks. JPMorgan is advising First Republic on its options to raise capital from investors, a source familiar with the situation previously said.

☆ First Republic's future to be discussed as major bank CEOs meet, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, March 21 (Reuters) - Major bank chief executives are gathering in Washington for a two-day scheduled meeting starting on Tuesday, with the future of First Republic Bank (FRC.N) to be discussed, sources familiar with the matter said. The quarterly meeting of the Financial Services Forum will include JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s (JPM.N) Jamie Dimon and Bank of America Corp's (BAC.N) Brian Moynihan, the sources said. First Republic Bank is among the banks that have been speaking to peers and investment firms about potential deals in the wake of U.S. regulators taking over Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O) and Signature Bank (SBNY.O) this month amid a flight of depositors, sources have said. Two sources familiar with the matter previously said that all options are on the table for First Republic, which could include a sale or equity infusion. JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) is advising First Republic on its options to raise capital from investors, a source familiar with the situation previously said.

He now faces renewed criticism over his agenda at the Fed, where he oversaw efforts to reduce regulations on regional banks. U.S. regional banks are expected to pay higher rates to depositors to keep them from switching to larger lenders, leaving them with higher funding costs. In 2008, regulators had to contend with billions of dollars in toxic mortgages and complex derivatives sitting on bank books. Currently, regional banks below $250 billion in assets have simpler capital, liquidity and stress testing requirements. "SVB is not a very complicated bank," said Dan Awrey, a Cornell Law professor and bank regulation expert.

Credit Suisse declined to comment on the banks' actions. MARKET TROUBLES LINGERBanking stocks globally have been battered since Silicon Valley Bank collapsed, raising questions about other weaknesses in the wider financial system. A view of the Park Avenue location of the First Republic Bank, in New York City, U.S., March 10, 2023. The supervisors were told deposits were stable across the euro zone and exposure to Credit Suisse was immaterial, a source familiar with the meeting's content told Reuters. "Japan's financial system remains stable as a whole," Kishida told a news briefing.

March 17 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse and First Republic Bank shares came under renewed pressure on Friday despite multibillion-dollar support deals, while a source said European Central Bank supervisors see no contagion for euro zone banks from the turmoil. With investor confidence far from restored, analysts, investors and bankers think the loan facility has only bought Credit Suisse some time to work out what to do next. Meanwhile, U.S. regional bank shares, including PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O), also opened sharply lower, with First Republic down around 25%. But the supervisors were told deposits were stable across the euro zone and exposure to Credit Suisse was immaterial, a source familiar with the meeting's content told Reuters. The ECB pressed forward with a 50 basis-point rate hike, arguing that euro zone banks were in good shape and that if anything, higher rates should bolster their margins.

The rescue package came shortly after embattled Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) tapped an emergency central bank loan of up to $54 billion to shore up its liquidity. The ECB supervisors saw no contagion to euro zone banks from the market turmoil, a source familiar with the content of the meeting told Reuters, adding that supervisors were told deposits remained stable across euro zone banks and exposure to Credit Suisse was immaterial. "I don't think we are in the crux of a global financial crisis. The ECB pressed forward with its 50 basis point rate hike, arguing that euro zone banks were in good shape and that if anything, higher rates should bolster their margins. Japan's finance ministry, financial regulator and central bank said they would meet on Friday to discuss developments.

March 17 (Reuters) - European Central Bank supervisors met to tackle growing cracks in the banking system on Friday after a $30 billion lifeline for U.S. lender First Republic Bank (FRC.N) eased fears of its imminent collapse. The rescue package came less than a day after Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) clinched an emergency central bank loan of up to $54 billion to shore up its liquidity. The two deals helped restore some calm to global markets, after a torrid week for banking stocks. "French and European banks are very solid," ECB policymaker and French central bank governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau, told BFM business radio. Japan's finance ministry, financial regulator and central bank said they would meet on Friday to discuss developments.

The package came less than a day after Swiss bank Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) clinched an emergency central bank loan of up to $54 billion to shore up its liquidity. Analysts say authorities appear eager to quickly deal with systemic risks, but worry the potential for a banking crisis is far from over. "Yellen was clear overnight that all bank deposits were protected, but the bank might not be there," he said. Within days, the market turmoil had ensnared Credit Suisse, forcing it to borrow from Switzerland's central bank. Credit Suisse shares closed 19% higher on Thursday, recovering some of their 25% fall on Wednesday.

March 16 (Reuters) - First Republic Bank's (FRC.N) shares fell 17% in extended trading on Thursday, despite an unprecedented show of support in the bank from nearly a dozen of the world's largest financial institutions. The bank's shares, which had closed 10% higher after a volatile day that saw trading halted 17 times, slumped in after-market trading. Jason Ware, chief investment officer for Albion Financial Group, said the Dimon-led banking sector intervention on Thursday was a "shot in the arm of the system" but likely more was needed. A First Republic Bank branch is pictured in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., March 13, 2023. The bank's shares have been hit hard in recent days in the aftermath of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.

March 17 (Reuters) - Multi-billion dollar lifelines for troubled U.S. and European banks shored up investor confidence on Friday and bolstered sentiment in battered stocks, although concerns now centre on whether a global financial crisis has been fully averted. The package came less than a day after Swiss bank Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) clinched an emergency central bank loan of up to $54 billion to shore up its liquidity, which went some way to calming panic about a global banking crisis. "I don't think we are in the crux of a global financial crisis, balance sheets are much better than they were in 2008, banks are better regulated," said Karen Jorritsma, head of Australian equities, RBC Capital Market. Within days, the market turmoil had ensnared Credit Suisse, forcing it to borrow from Switzerland's central bank. Policymakers have tried to emphasise that the current turmoil is different to the global financial crisis 15 years ago as banks are better capitalised and funds more easily available.

A round of financing on Sunday raised through JPMorgan had given First Republic access to $70 billion in funds. First Republic Bank's stock closed up 10% on news of the rescue but its shares fell 18% in after-market trading, after the bank said it would suspend its dividend. [1/2] A person walks past a First Republic Bank branch in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., March 13, 2023. It said it would exercise an option to borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs ($54 billion) from the Swiss National Bank, which confirmed it would provide liquidity to the bank against sufficient collateral. Since March 8, before last week's collapse of SVB, European banks have lost around $165 billion in market value, Refinitiv data shows.

The planned rescue package was discussed by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM.N) CEO Jamie Dimon on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the situation. A central player in the deal was Rodgin Cohen, a veteran lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell, two sources familiar with the matter said. A First Republic Bank branch is pictured in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., March 13, 2023. Other lenders including BNY Mellon, PNC Bank, State Street, Truist and U.S. Bank channeled $1 billion of deposits into the San Francisco-based lender. Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed was always ready to provide liquidity through its discount window.

☆ First Republic spoke to private equity before securing financing -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, March 15 (Reuters) - First Republic Bank (FRC.N) spoke to at least one private equity firm about raising capital before it secured financing from JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and U.S. authorities intervened with support for the industry, two sources familiar with the matter said. First Republic had various approaches and ideas put to it, a third source familiar with the matter said, adding that private equity firms have capital to deploy and were looking for opportunities. They added that the private equity deal talks ended once First Republic announced its credit line with JPMorgan. First Republic said on Sunday night it had secured additional financing through JPMorgan, giving it access to a total of $70 billion in funds through various sources. In some cases, the situation had flipped from banks looking for capital to investors seeking bargains, one of the sources said.

"We have not raised capital and we are not in the market at this point for M&A transactions," Walt Bettinger, CEO of Charles Schwab, told Reuters in an interview. The firm saw an influx of $4 billion in assets to the parent company on Friday as clients moved assets to Schwab from other firms, Bettinger said. Schwab's shares closed up 9.2% at $56.68 on Tuesday, along with a broad rise in bank shares. Schwab shares, however, are down 25.6% from their close last Wednesday, the day before many bank shares began a downward spiral in reaction to problems at Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O). The bank has "access to significant liquidity" including an estimated $100 billion of cash flow from cash on hand, portfolio-related cash flows, plus new assets.

Possible outcomes for under-pressure regional banks could see a stronger rival take over a weaker, or cash infusions from investors such as private equity, the industry sources said. Reuters GraphicsUNDER PRESSUREInvestors voted with their feet on Monday, putting bank stocks under pressure around the world. So investors think it’s a relative gamble staying around owning regional banks before knowing what will change in regulation," said Brian Levitt, global market strategist for Invesco. Regional bank stocks are "an incredible bargain now," billionaire investor Bill Ackman said on Twitter on Monday. "There’s value in these banks, they are not all alike," said Michael Farr, chief executive of investment advisory firm Farr, Miller & Washington who owns banks stocks including PNC and Truist.

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