The 73% drop at Goldman Sachs stemmed in part from its exit from credit card lending, a business for which the bank had previously set aside reserves earlier in 2025.
Bank of America Corp. cut its provisions by 14.2%, while JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced them by 11.7%. Citigroup Inc. saw a roughly 12% decline.
Wells Fargo & Co. attributed its lower provision - approximately $914 million in the recent quarter, down about 9% from a year earlier - to better performance in its commercial real estate lending portfolio.
A JPMorgan Chase spokesperson said, "The reduction in provisions reflects our positive outlook on the economy and borrower credit quality."
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Loan-loss provisions are the money banks set aside to cover expected defaults. Reducing these provisions enhances a bank's profitability by lowering its expenses.
The across-the-board reduction in loan-loss provisions suggests that major U.S. banks are increasingly confident in the economic environment and borrowers' financial health. Following a period of elevated provisioning during the pandemic and subsequent economic uncertainty, lenders now see fewer signs of financial stress among consumers and businesses. The pullback from credit card lending by Goldman Sachs is part of a broader strategic shift, while Wells Fargo's improvement in commercial real estate reflects stabilizing property markets.
Loan-loss provisions are a key indicator of how banks assess risk in their portfolios. When the economy slows or unemployment rises, lenders typically increase these reserves to guard against a wave of defaults. Conversely, when conditions improve, banks can release some of those funds, boosting net income.
The current reductions suggest that the largest U.S. lenders expect relatively few borrowers to fall behind on payments in the near term. This optimism is supported by a still-strong labor market and manageable household debt levels, though interest rates remain elevated.
The trend of shrinking loan-loss cushions aligns with other signals of financial stability. Consumer spending has remained resilient, corporate earnings have largely beat expectations, and the housing market, while still pressured by high rates, is showing signs of stabilization. Banks are also benefiting from higher net interest income as they pass on rate increases to borrowers without raising deposit rates proportionally. Together, these factors give lenders more room to reduce reserves, even as some risks - such as geopolitical uncertainty and elevated credit card debt - remain on the horizon.
The U.S. labor market continues to add jobs at a steady pace, keeping unemployment near historic lows and supporting household incomes. Although inflation has moderated, borrowing costs remain high, yet consumers have maintained spending levels, and corporate balance sheets are generally healthy. This backdrop reinforces banks' assessment that default rates will stay low, allowing them to gradually release the reserves built up during periods of greater uncertainty.
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