Banks Ready to Put Billions to Work After Regulatory Win
March 20, 2026
Large lenders, sitting on some $175 billion in excess capital, plan to fund more loans, chase deals and increase buybacks.
America’s banks are dusting off their spending wish lists.
After scoring a victory with regulators, lenders are preparing to put billions of dollars in potentially freed-up capital to use. Their top priorities aren’t complicated: make more loans, invest in their businesses, give money back to shareholders and strike deals.
A hotly anticipated series of regulatory rules proposed Thursday would, in totality, lower the amount of extra capital that banks must hold as safety buffers.
Banc of California CEO Jared Wolff said he was encouraged that the proposals tie “capital more closely to the risk of the type of lending we’re doing.”
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Deb Vrana, Chief Communications Officer
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