Americans' confidence in banks isn't exactly soaring.

A total of 26 percent have a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in banks, unchanged from 2013 and not far above the record low of 21 percent found in 2012.

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The latest level is far below the 41 percent recorded in June 2007, six months before the Great Recession started.

Also, 43 percent of Americans express "some" confidence in banks. Meanwhile, 28 percent have "very little" confidence, and 2 percent have no confidence, all close to last year's levels.

Banks stand in the middle of a list of 17 U.S. institutions Americans ranked for Gallup based on confidence. Americans have more confidence in banks than in the news media, Gallup found.

Small businesses landed near the top of the list, with a 62 percent vote of confidence, while big businesses remain near the bottom, with 21 percent.

"There are no easy fixes for the banking industry," writes Gallup's Rebecca Riffkin. "Banks were at the epicenter of the financial crisis that has had a devastating effect on the U.S. economy, and therefore, on consumers."

It's not just the public that's concerned about banks. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which regulates banks, is worried about them jumping out on the risk curve.

"Competition for limited lending opportunities is intensifying, resulting in loosening underwriting standards, particularly in indirect auto and leveraged lending," according to an OCC report. "Easing in underwriting and increased risk layering is also occurring in commercial loans."

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