Banks' year of deposit challenges; the long route ahead on contactless transit payments

How deposits went from sideshow to center stage in 2023: Heading into the year, U.S. banks were facing pressure to pay higher rates to their depositors. But they could not have anticipated just how important deposits would soon become.

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What's next for transit payments in 2024? 2023 saw a recovery in ridership and signs of progress for contactless boarding. But there's still lots of work to do.

Elections that bankers need to watch in 2024: While much of the attention in next year's election is on the top of the ticket, there are several other important races in 2024 that banks need to keep on their radar.

Consumers defied bankers' 2023 forecasts. Will next year be as strong? Executives at America's largest banks are making rosier predictions about the financial health of U.S. households than they were a year ago, when their forecasts proved to be overly pessimistic.

For startup banks, 2023 was an up-and-down year: Though new bank formation slowed somewhat in 2023, with only five de novos opening, the stage appears set for a more active year in 2024 with a number of groups working toward a charter.