This week two large banks made some noise.

San Francisco-based Wells Fargo announced “record profits” of $3 billion in the first quarter on Wall Street, lapping analyst predictions.

Manhattan-based JPMorgan Chase staked its new presence on the West Coast with an uptick in a branding campaign after taking over 192 former WaMu branches in a purchase from regulators after WaMu collapsed. This involves changing a look of the branches to a more traditional style, radio ads talking about how they were around even before radio existed, and this sign…

chase-coming-to-california1

…while driving home from Adobe today. All fine, except I wasn’t in San Francisco, I was in San Jose. Minor details.

More important question is after Wells Fargo earned record profits, does it plan to give a bit of the $25 billion it got from the US Treasury Department (aka. you and me) back?

Loni Stark is an artist at Atelier Stark, self-professed foodie, and adventure travel seeker who has a lifelong passion for technology’s impact on business and creativity. She collaborates with Clinton Stark on video projects for Atelier Stark Films. It’s been said her laugh can be heard from San Jose all the way up to the Golden Gate Bridge. She makes no claims to super powers, although sushi is definitely her Kryptonite.