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John Maxfield

TMFMaxfield

I write about banks, trying my best to balance the good and the bad.

Recent Articles by John Maxfield

Aug 2, 2016 by John Maxfield

The Ratings Agencies Hate This About Bank of America

This explains why B of A has a lower debt rating than many of the banks it competes against.

Aug 1, 2016 by John Maxfield

Bank of America's Low Debt Rating Costs It Billions Every Year

Want to know why Bank of America’s profitability trails the likes of Wells Fargo and U.S. Bancorp? One reason is that Bank of America has a lower debt rating, which increases its borrowing costs and weighs on its bottom line.

Aug 1, 2016 by John Maxfield

Chart: How Wells Fargo Dominates the Mortgage Market

No bank even comes close to rivaling Wells Fargo when it comes to underwriting home loans.

Jul 30, 2016 by John Maxfield

Everything You Need to Know About How America’s Biggest Banks Are Faring in Q2 2016

On this week’s episode of Industry Focus: Financials, The Motley Fool’s Gaby Lapera and John Maxfield discuss second-quarter bank earnings.

Jul 29, 2016 by John Maxfield

How Wells Fargo Is Dealing With Lower-for-Longer Interest Rates

The top two executives at Wells Fargo explained how the $1.9 trillion bank is trying to combat the dismal interest rate environment.

Jul 29, 2016 by John Maxfield

A Partial Explanation for Bank of America's Profitability Problem

If you’re wondering why B of A is less profitable than, say, Wells Fargo, one place you’ll want to look is its costs of funds.

Jul 27, 2016 by John Maxfield

Here’s What Bank of America Investors Need to Figure Out

Bank of America earns much less from its asset portfolio than its better-heeled competitors do. Here are the two reasons.

Jul 26, 2016 by John Maxfield

An Important Question for Bank of America Investors

While Bank of America has focused on reducing expenses for much of the past decade, the question now is whether the bank can grow revenue.

Jul 25, 2016 by John Maxfield

Chart: The 8 Ways Bank of America Makes Money

Bank of America makes an oversized share of its income from one activity.

Jul 24, 2016 by John Maxfield

This Bank's App Has 25 Million Active Users

Which bank has the most monthly active users of its mobile application? The answer is JPMorgan Chase, followed by Bank of America and Wells Fargo. For these banks, the widespread adoption of mobile banking couldn’t come soon enough.

Jul 22, 2016 by John Maxfield

Why Bank of America's Shares Headed Higher This Week

Bank of America's stock rose more than 4% last week thanks to the bank's reassuring performance in the second quarter.

Jul 20, 2016 by John Maxfield

Bank of America's Mobile App Is 12 Times More Popular Than Its Branches

After placing first in two-out-of-three recent mobile-banking surveys, Bank of America is upping its game. It will soon release an updated version of its mobile app, which will purportedly enable customers to withdraw cash from ATMs without a debit card.

Jul 20, 2016 by John Maxfield

Here's How Bank of America Plans to Cut Another $3 Billion in Annual Expenses

Brian Moynihan said this week that Bank of America will reduce its annual operating expenses $3 billion by 2018. Given that it’s already cut $15 billion in yearly costs since 2011, how in the world is it going to squeeze out $3 billion more?

Jul 19, 2016 by John Maxfield

Should Investors Follow Bank of America's Actual or Adjusted Earnings?

This is an important question. If you use Bank of America’s actual earnings, then it looks like it had a horrible second quarter. But if you use its adjusted earnings, then it looks like the bank had a pretty darn good quarter.

Jul 19, 2016 by John Maxfield

The Biggest Question Facing Bank of America Right Now

Analysts and investors have begun to express doubts that Bank of America can meet its profitability targets without another corporate realignment.

Jul 18, 2016 by John Maxfield

Bank of America's Q2 Earnings: One of Its Best Performances Since the Financial Crisis

Despite a challenging environment for banks, Bank of America earned $4.2 billion in the second quarter.

Jul 17, 2016 by John Maxfield

Should Investors Be Happy That Bank of America Did Away With Its Rewards Program?

Bank of America ends its Platinum Privileges program.

Jul 15, 2016 by John Maxfield

Wells Fargo Grew Revenue in the Second Quarter, but Disappoints on Earnings

Shares of Wells Fargo are down on Friday after the bank’s second-quarter earnings fell compared to the same period last year.

Jul 14, 2016 by John Maxfield

This Is a Very Good Sign for Bank of America

JPMorgan Chase's better-than-expected second-quarter earnings bode well for Bank of America.

Jul 14, 2016 by John Maxfield

JPMorgan Chase Beats Analyst Expectations and Grows Revenue

If JPMorgan Chase’s results are any indication, banks had a better second quarter than expected.

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