John Maxfield

Despite the conspiratorial insinuations, Goldman Sachs isn't taking Bank of America's place on the Dow for illegitimate reasons.

One of the hottest debates among bankers today involves the future of bank branches. Will they become irrelevant in years to come, replaced by online and mobile platforms? Or will there always be a need for a physical presence irrespective of technological progress?

The growth of fee-based revenue proves that simple banking is indeed a thing of the past.

Since the second quarter of last year, BB&T's efficiency ratio has shot up by nearly four percentage points. Its CEO explains the trend away, but should shareholders buy his explanation?

"Given the changes in the operating environment, banking in the future has got to be very different from banking in the past."

While every week offers a unique set of economic reports, this week is bigger than most.

When it comes to mortgage lending, these five companies dominate the industry.

On Wednesday afternoon, the central bank is slated to release its most recent statement on monetary policy.

While Bank of America is often cast as a white knight when it comes to the financial crisis, acquiring Merrill Lynch rather than watching it fail, the reality is much more nuanced.

Ever wonder why Apple isn't a member of the Dow? The explanation has to do with its share price.

Mortgage rates stayed steady this week ahead of the Federal Reserve's pivotal meeting next Tuesday and Wednesday.

A great way to identify high-quality stocks is by scavenging through industry presentations that don’t normally see the light of day outside of Wall Street.

With mortgage applications plummeting, banks are beginning to curtail their home lending operations.

The reason Berkshire Hathaway will never be a part of the Dow is because its shares are simply too expensive.

The decision to add Goldman Sachs and Visa to the Dow Jones Industrial Average will dramatically increase the weight and prestige of the financial sector.

The nation's two largest mortgage originators separately acknowledged this week that mortgage origination volumes are in free-fall thanks to higher long-term interest rates.

If you want to pick a great bank stock, the most important thing to look out for is the quality of the underlying bank's loans.

While the financial crisis is now nearly five-years old, millions of homeowners remain underwater on their mortgages.

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported today that applications for home loans notched a massive decline last week.

Banks are setting aside less money in expectation of future loan losses than they have since the second quarter of 2006.