Two Atlanta-based banks made Bank Director magazine’s inaugural “Nifty 50: Top 50 Fee Income Banks.”

The magazine ranked American banks by fee income as a percentage of total income, based on the banks’ average ratio of non-interest income to total operating revenue for 2011 and 2012.

Atlanta-based Fidelity Southern ranked No. 18 with 45 percent and Atlanta-based SunTrust Banks Inc. ranked No. 22 with 39.7 percent.

Fee income drivers fall into three categories, with most banks earning fee income from all three, the magazine noted:

“Consumer-based fees, which have been cut at most banks due to federal regulations, include overdraft protection plans, checking accounts and debit card transactions. Fees generated from non-depository lines of business, like trust and private banking, investment banking, insurance brokerage and cash management services, comprise the second category of fee income. Loan fees, the third category of fee income, have been a strong driver of fee income for many institutions due in part to a robust mortgage refinancing market.”

Click here for the full report.