BankThink

How Banks Can Topple Fintech Challengers: Weekly Wrap

05/08/15

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week, including how convenience may help banks beat out Silicon Valley and whether community banks can reduce their regulatory burden on their own.

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How to Cure Banks' Broken Culture Syndrome

05/08/15

A dysfunctional culture can harm banks' long-term viability and share value growth. Luckily, these problems can be fixed by encouraging team accountability, empowering employees to make decisions, and showing appreciation for staffers.

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Morning Scan: B of A, JPM to Set Right Credit Reports; How Kabbage Grows

05/08/15

Receiving Wide Coverage ...

Not B of A's Day: Bank of America pops up in Friday's news for several reasons, none of them flattering. Over at the New York Times, columnist Gretchen Morgenson questions the distribution of Bank of America's $16.7 billion mortgage settlement. The bank is required to forgive or reduce borrowers' mortgage debt as part of the settlement and the amount of relief it provides is then deducted from the bank's total tab. There's...

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Why We Need the Government to Stay Put in the Housing Market

05/07/15

Housing affects too many Americans to simply cast out government involvement, especially where the government-sponsored entities and Ginnie Mae are concerned.

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Community Banks Have the Power to Lighten Their Regulatory Burden

05/07/15

The regulators have spelled it out: If a bank wants relief from onerous compliance requirements, a path to get there is to use simple, basic practices for credit risk management.

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Morning Scan: Sanders Goes After Big Banks; What's Jamie Dimon Worth?

05/07/15

Receiving Wide Coverage ...

Sanders vs. the Big Banks: Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders is already stirring up trouble for big banks with legislation that aims to break up "too big to fail" institutions. As American Banker reported Wednesday, the bill's chances of passing are slim, but it's nonetheless helping to keep Wall Street reform a hot topic this election season. The New York Times points out Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has been criticized for cozying...

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Do Visa and MasterCard Have a Chance in China?

05/06/15

China's government plans to allow foreign card-payment networks to process domestic transactions. But companies like Visa and MasterCard will have a tough time capturing a percentage of China's explosive payments market.

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How Community Banks Can Seize Opportunity in the Mortgage Market

05/06/15

To survive and thrive, community banks must follow the lead of nonbank mortgage lenders by embracing digital technology and customer convenience.

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Morning Scan: Ripple Labs Fined for AML Issues; HSBC Weighs Escape from London

05/06/15

Receiving Wide Coverage ...

Ripple Hits a Bump: Digital currency startup Ripple Labs touts a focus on compliance as one of its distinguishing traits, which makes it surprising the company has just become the first virtual currency exchange to be slapped with a civil action. Ripple Labs has agreed to pay $700,000 and improve its anti-money laundering program as part of a settlement with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and the Department of Justice. U.S. authorities...

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CFPB Must Prioritize People Over Payday Lenders

05/05/15

There will always be a need for small-dollar loans. But loans that trap people in debt and burden borrowers with triple-digit interest rates are simply abusive.

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