Laura Alix

Boston

Research Director at Bank Director

Director of Research @BankDirector Writer, gardener, RTs = RTs, opinions & commentary are my own

Articles

The Tough Act of Fighting Financial Crime

1 week ago | bankdirector.com | Laura Alix

Much of the industry has experienced some degree of regulatory relief in the early days of the second Trump administration. However, the White House has also pledged to crack down on illegal activity such as drug trafficking. That would result in stricter oversight of banks’ compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act — laws and regulations that require financial institutions to play a key role in fighting money laundering and other criminal acts.
Market Volatility Disrupts Banks’ Capital Plans

1 month ago | bankdirector.com | Laura Alix

Market volatility and an uncertain economic outlook have cast a pall over banks’ growth plans for 2025, at least when those plans require additional capital. For much of the industry, the year began on a largely optimistic note. Bank stocks rebounded following the election of Donald Trump to a second presidential term, due to an anticipated comeback in M&A, a reduced regulatory burden and a stronger economy to drive more growth.
Check Fraud Just the Tip of the Iceberg

2 months ago | bankdirector.com | Laura Alix

Bank M&A Bank M&A topics will include balance sheet considerations for both the acquiring and acquired financial institutions such as deposits, capital adequacy, credit quality and more. Information around regulatory preparations and concerns as well as credit risks will also be addressed. Explore
Stemming the Fraud Epidemic

2 months ago | bankdirector.com | Laura Alix

Since 2021, staff at First Financial Bankshares in Abilene, Texas, have stopped over $22.6 million in fraud, estimates CEO and Chairman Scott Dueser. The $14 billion bank has done that by training workers to recognize and stop fraud before it happens. Executives also regularly honor frontline workers who catch fraud.
How to Build Engagement on a Diverse Board

2 months ago | bankdirector.com | Laura Alix

By her own admission, Kimberly Ellwanger might have been considered the token woman when she first joined the board of Heritage Financial Corp., in 2006. Ellwanger’s credentials as a director spoke for themselves: She worked as senior director of corporate affairs and associate general counsel for Microsoft Corp. before retiring in 1999 and served on several nonprofit boards before joining the holding company for Heritage Bank in Olympia, Washington.
2025 Risk Survey: Cybersecurity, Fraud at the Forefront

2 months ago | bankdirector.com | Laura Alix

Cybersecurity and fraud are top of mind for bank leaders this year, as the industry grapples with rising volumes of fraud attempts and evolving threats. Eighty-four percent of the bank CEOs, senior executives and directors responding to Bank Director’s 2025 Risk Survey, sponsored by Moss Adams, name cybersecurity as a top risk for their institution, and 69% say the same of fraud. The survey was conducted in January.
Jackpot! How Banks Can Prevent ATM Attacks

2 months ago | bankdirector.com | Laura Alix

So-called ATM jackpotting attacks are on the upswing, and smaller banks are particularly susceptible to losing money to these crimes. In February, police in Florence, South Carolina, extradited a New York man for allegedly stealing almost $100,000 in an ATM jackpotting attack on Oct. 9, 2024.
Why Regulatory Relief Is Unlikely to Revive Deposit Fee Income

Feb 28, 2025 | bankdirector.com | Laura Alix

Bankers may be anticipating a lighter regulatory touch under the Trump administration, but it may not lead to higher deposit fee income for banks. Service charges on deposit accounts have declined since 2021, falling to a little more than $28 billion at the end of 2023, according to Fitch Ratings. Some of that decline is likely due to preemptive moves to lower deposit fees and avoid regulatory scrutiny.
Stablecoins: Friend or Foe to the Banking Industry?

Feb 14, 2025 | bankdirector.com | Laura Alix

President Donald Trump and some lawmakers have pushed for a friendlier regulatory environment for cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, but that doesn’t mean bankers are all warming up to digital assets.
Wanted in 2025: More New Banks

Jan 27, 2025 | bankdirector.com | Laura Alix

The new head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. telegraphed more openness to de novo formation as part of a broader shift in the regulator’s stance toward bank M&A under the second Trump administration. Bank mergers have taken longer to close in recent years, something that Acting Chair Travis Hill characterized as an attempt to artificially slow industry consolidation.