BankThink

A recent CFPB study lays the groundwork to roll back financial firms' use of arbitration clauses. But rather than protecting consumers, such a measure could wind up forcing people into costly and time-consuming lawsuits.

Breaking News This Morning ...

Earnings Galore: Citigroup, like its rival Bank of America, reported a huge increase in second-quarter profit, compared to a year earlier, thanks in large part to the lack of a costly legal settlement related to mortgages. Citi's net income rose to $4.85 billion from $181 million a year earlier. Meanwhile, BB&T's second-quarter net income increased to $454 million from $424 million a year earlier. However, merger-related charges and a loss from...

Banks often complain that the Federal Reserve's zero percent interest rate policy has been hard on profits. But they may not be as informed about the long-term negative effects of the Fed's annual inflation target of 2%.

Most banks ask executives to coordinate a vast patchwork of regulation in addition to managing their day jobs. They'd be better off putting one person in charge of regulatory communication, remediation and coordination.

Breaking News This Morning ... 2Q Kickoff: Ringing in the second-quarter earnings season this morning are Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase. Wells Fargo's second-quarter earning were essentially unchanged from a year ago, while JPMorgan profits rose 5% thanks to cost-cutting measures. Receiving Wide Coverage ... Clinton's Financial Vision: The economic policies aired by presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in a Monday speech position her as left of centerÂ--but not so far over as other contenders gunning for the DemocraticÂ...