BankThink

Strong Performance Bestows Its Own Power

09/22/15

Confidence, accountability and a willingness to take risks are common traits among highly motivated executives. But true power comes from execution, says HSBC's North American CEO, who advises women to 'be in it to win it.'

[more]

Call Report Reform Is Victory for Common Sense

09/21/15

A shorter, less burdensome and more sensible call report is an important step toward reducing community banks' regulatory burden.

[more]

Morning Scan: StanChart Back in Hot Water; B of A Investor Vote Looms

09/21/15

Receiving Wide Coverage ...

B of A Board Reckoning: A special meeting of Bank of America shareholders Tuesday will determine whether chief executive Brian Moynihan is permitted to hang on to the additional title of chairman. The bank's board made a unilateral decision to put Moynihan in the dual role last fall, disregarding a binding 2009 shareholder vote to keep the positions separate. Disgruntled investors saw the move as "a classic case of a too-big-to-fail bank...

[more]

Digital Disruption Is Good News for Banks

09/21/15

The profound disruption that has led to the rise of challengers like Apple, PayPal and Square can ultimately drive innovation across the financial services industry.

[more]

How Should the U.S. Regulate Regional Banks? Weekly Wrap

09/18/15

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week, including banks' subpar shareholder value and how big-data advocates can better communicate with critics who worry about the technology's potential discriminatory effects.

[more]

Women in Banking: Do Female-Run Firms Outperform?

09/18/15

Studies are showing that companies predominantly led by women perform better than those led by men; worldwide trends are showing a continuing uptick in the number of women on boards, but they still account for less than 20% of directors.

[more]

Swipe Fee Cap Distorts the Marketplace

09/18/15

The governmentÂ's cap on interchange fees has failed to produce savings for consumers. ThatÂ's why the Federal Reserve should avoid dictating prices in the private sector.

[more]

Morning Scan: Fed Holds Steady on Rates; Regulating Apple and Alibaba

09/18/15

Receiving Wide Coverage ...

Reactions to Fed: The Federal Reserve opted not to raise short-term interest rates at its two-day policy meeting, putting an end to weeks of speculation — and setting off a rash of think pieces and retorts, naturally. The Wall Street Journal delves into banks' disappointment, noting that Bank of America and U.S. Bancorp plan to look for ways to cut costs further to make up for the continued low-interest-rate environment. American Banker...

[more]

Will Faster Electronic Payments Mean Faster Fraud?

09/17/15

Faster payments have a lot of benefits Â-- and one big downside. A new electronic payments system could make it easier for people to unwittingly send money to scammers and harder for fraud victims to get their money back.

[more]

Systemic Rules Magnify Regional Banks' Risk

09/17/15

Not only do rules imposed under the Dodd-Frank Act threaten regional banks' lending capabilities, they could actually wind up increasing risk to the financial system.

[more]