American Banker
U.S. financial-industry trade press
Background
American Banker traces its roots to Thompson's Bank Note Reporter, a trusted bank-note periodical that began publication in the 1840s, though the publication under its current name was established in 1885 by Charles David Steurer and Anthony Stumpf as a weekly financial newspaper; it became a daily in 1899. Despite its name, the outlet is entirely independent of the American Bankers Association trade group. In 2004, the publication was sold to Investcorp as part of the SourceMedia portfolio of financial trade titles. Observer Capital, a private equity firm, acquired SourceMedia from Investcorp in 2014. The parent company rebranded as Arizent in 2019, consolidating several financial trade titles including The Bond Buyer, Financial Planning, and Accounting Today. American Banker's editorial approach is industry-focused and analytical: it covers Trump-era bank deregulation largely through the lens of its impact on bank earnings and competitiveness, while also publishing pieces critical of specific policy conflicts, such as the tension between the administration's 2025 debanking executive order and existing Bank Secrecy Act requirements. Its perspective reflects the interests and concerns of large financial institutions rather than a clear left-right political alignment.
Sources
- American Banker - Wikipedia
- Arizent - Wikipedia
- SourceMedia Announces Acquisition by Observer Capital | Arizent
- American Banker parent changes name to Arizent - Talking Biz News
- Trump order gives banks a regulatory break, but at what cost? | American Banker
- Deregulation is the new norm at the CFPB, and banks love it | American Banker
- Exclusive research: Change for banking regulations in 2026 | American Banker
- 5 times politics impacted banking in 2025 | American Banker
Profile compiled 2026-07-14; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.