BankThink

Banks Must Not Let Up in Fight for Regulatory Balance

07/12/16

As policymakers try to calibrate the appropriate level of regulatory oversight still six years after Dodd-Frank, financial institutions large and small must stay engaged in key policy debates.

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There Are No Universal Truths in Marketplace Lending

07/12/16

Attempting to impose the fundamental laws of a particular lending universe on another will lead to an eventual collapse of a particular firm or industry segment.

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Morning Scan: Wall Street Braces for Q2 Earnings Reports

07/12/16

Receiving Wide Coverage ...

Headache du jour: This earnings season is all about lowering expectations. When JPMorgan kicks off the process on Thursday, the "big question" isn't about whether firms will meet or exceed projections. Instead, second-quarter results will help determine "whether bank stocks will be dead in the water for another year or two," according to the Wall Street Journal. ...

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Don't Use Risk Management as an Excuse to Stop Innovating

07/11/16

Banks frequently blame "the rules" in shunning partnerships with fintech startups. However, compliance can be a positive force, not something that inhibits growth.

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Financial Regulators Should Look Like America

07/11/16

While diversity at the federal agencies overall is roughly consistent with the rest of the country, diversity declines sharply among those in senior leadership roles.

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Morning Scan: Bitcoin Miner Reward Slashed in 'Halving'

07/11/16

Receiving Wide Coverage ...

Holding steady: "Halving" sounds like it should be straight out of Lord of the Rings or The Hunger Games, but it's not. Bitcoin survived its quadrennial event on Saturday, with the reward for mining new bitcoins slashed in half for a second time in the virtual currency's history. The change could thin the herd of bitcoin miners, armed with powerful computer processors, that have popped up around the world. ...

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Time to Align Incentives for Marketplace Lenders, Investors

07/08/16

Turmoil in marketplace lending has less to do with loan quality and more to do with how lenders price loans to meet supply and demand.

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To Reboot Your Bank, Reboot Your Management

07/08/16

Banks must come to grips with the fact that adapting to the industry's transformational changes means having new faces in the corporate suite.

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Morning Scan: Calls to Fix 'Bro Talk' Culture, Executive Pay

07/08/16

Receiving Wide Coverage ...

A new wrinkle: Reuters reports that a Swiss banking association is seeking to build a post-Brexit coalition with Britain, Hong Kong and Singapore to form a so-called "F4 alliance" that would look to set international standards and possibly strike a deal with the European Union. The Financial Times notes, "The Swiss bankers' association first suggested launching a 'F4' financial centres group in 2012." Wall Street Journal ...

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Women in Banking: Female CEO-CFO Teams and 20 Years of Girl Power

07/07/16

Female CEOs are uncommon, so how rare do you think female CEO-CFO teams are? At publicly traded banks, there are only 13, and that is still way better than a few other industries. InVenture founder Shivani Siroya talks about her past in banking and the future of her fintech startup. An Australian bank is going to test gender blind recruitment practices. Also, rewriting Silicon Valley's history and the Spice Girls' girl power legacy.

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