Polo Rocha is a Mexico-based freelance reporter who worked at American Banker from 2021 to early 2025, covering consumer finance and national banking trends. He previously covered the Federal Reserve at S&P Global Market Intelligence and state politics at WisPolitics.com. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has a master's in finance degree from Johns Hopkins University.
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The penalty by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is a major setback for the San Francisco bank, which was freed from a separate anti-money-laundering order in 2021. Its stock price fell sharply after the news broke.
By Polo RochaSeptember 12 -
The regional bank has already seen a large reduction in "criticized" loans, and it expects that trend to pick up as lower borrowing costs alleviate the pain in the commercial real estate sector.
By Polo RochaSeptember 11 -
Prophecies about a wave of bank failures caused by sickly CRE loans haven't yet come true. But there are still plenty of caution signs in a saga that will take years to play out.
September 6 -
Trimont CEO Bill Sexton acknowledges that a "daunting" volume of commercial real estate loans need to be refinanced in the next few years. But he says nonbank lenders are well equipped to provide financing that will allow troubled buildings to be reimagined.
By Polo RochaAugust 30 -
Shares in U.S. banks weren't immune to a global market sell-off, as worries mounted over whether the U.S. economy's recent resilience is faltering. The turmoil hit some tech stocks hard and led to the worst day for Japanese stocks since the 1980s.
By Polo RochaAugust 5 -
The San Francisco bank's interest expenses continue to rise as depositors switch to higher-yielding options. At the same time, soft loan demand from business customers is putting a lid on how much interest Wells is collecting from borrowers.
By Polo RochaJuly 12 -
Sandro DiNello, who briefly led New York Community Bancorp amid turmoil earlier this year, is staying on the company's board. But Joseph Otting, the company's recently installed CEO, is taking on the executive chairman position.
By Polo RochaJune 4 -
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Monday completed its rule establishing a nationwide database for a wide swath of financial companies — including payments companies, debt collectors, auto lenders — that have faced regulatory or legal penalties for consumer-related infractions.
By Polo RochaJune 3 -
The retail giant has scrapped its credit card partnership with Capital One, its second public spat in recent years with a partner bank. Analysts say it may be a sign that Walmart wants to launch its own credit card on what it hopes will be a financial super-app.
By Polo RochaMay 29 -
Executives at the Toronto-based bank said last year that they planned to add 150 branches in the United States. But when pressed on Thursday, they could not say how much they'll scale back their ambitions due to investigations over TD's anti-money laundering practices.
By Polo RochaMay 23 -
Investors reacted negatively to New York Community Bancorp's divestiture of a $5 billion loan warehouse portfolio to JPMorgan Chase. The deal has triggered a debate about whether other banks might retreat from lending to nonbank home lenders.
By Polo RochaMay 15 -
Larger banks are responsible for a special assessment to cover the costs of the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. The price tag has ballooned by $4.1 billion, and trade groups are criticizing the FDIC's process, arguing that it lacks transparency.
By Polo RochaMarch 13 -
Former Trump administration officials Steven Mnuchin and Joseph Otting are headlining an investment group that's seeking to rescue the troubled Long Island lender. Otting is expected to serve as CEO, and Mnuchin will have a board seat.
By Polo RochaMarch 6 -
The auditing giant KPMG audited the three regional banks that failed last year. New York Community's recent disclosures that it had financial reporting weaknesses in 2023 raises new questions over the auditors' role.
By Polo RochaMarch 5 -
New York Community Bancorp faced new questions Friday after a flurry of disclosures led to a steep sell-off in its stock. The embattled Long Island-based lender beefed up its risk leadership, but Fitch cut its rating to "junk" status.
March 1 -
The blockbuster merger proposal will be reviewed at a time when the Biden administration is expressing skepticism about consolidation. Its analysis will have to account for markets dominated by both big banks and the likes of Visa and Mastercard.
February 20 -
Investors have hammered the New Jersey-based lender following the turmoil at New York Community Bancorp. But Valley executives say there are key differences between the two real estate-focused banks, and they express confidence that the bank's underwriting will hold up again this cycle.
By Polo RochaFebruary 16 -
In a surprise move this week, banking veteran Sandro DiNello was appointed executive chairman of the embattled Long Island-based company, whose stock plummeted in the face of questions about its financial health.
By Kevin WackFebruary 9 -
The regional bank announced a leadership shakeup on Wednesday, capping a tumultuous week in which shareholders became spooked about its exposure to the commercial real estate sector.
February 7 -
Former Flagstar CEO Alessandro DiNello, who had been New York Community's nonexecutive chairman, was named executive chairman after the Long Island bank's stock price fell by more than 59% in a week. New York Community also issued updates on both its deposit situation and its search for a new chief risk officer.
February 6


















