BankThink

Morning Scan: Mortgage Lending Standards Questioned; Citi's Japanese Sale

09/22/14

Wall Street Journal

Federal officials are considering how to instruct lenders to ease up on tight lending standards for mortgages. On the one hand, they don't want to create another housing bubble. But on the other hand, mortgage lending is so slow because lenders have adopted standards that are even tighter than what Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac demand. Underlying all of this are paltry-to-nonexistent wage growth, high levels of student debt and little savings for...

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How to Get Disruptive Innovation at its Best

09/22/14

Female representation on boards is on the rise and thatÂ's a good thing for innovation, argues Susan Stautberg of WomenCorporateDirectors.

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How Chief Data Officers Can Step Up Their Game

09/19/14

As regulators emphasize the importance of data integrity, chief data officers need to consider new strategies to ensure that all bank employees are on the same page about improving information quality.

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How Much Capital Does a GSE Need? None

09/19/14

So long as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, they don't need to accumulate any capital save the liquidity necessary to fund their operations.

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Morning Scan: Home Depot Breach Affects 56M; Santander's Punishment

09/19/14

Receiving Wide Coverage ...

Reach of Home Depot Breach: Home Depot confirmed that its data breach affected about 56 million customers, making it larger than the Target breach during the last holiday season. The home-improvement retailer also said the "unique, custom-built malware" used in the breach has been eliminated from its networks. The malware used in the Home Depot breach wasn't present in attacks on other retailers. Home Depot did not disclose the attackers' point of...

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Bank Customers Want Digital Substance Over Style

09/18/14

Americans are still looking for the same fundamental services from their banks. It's their expectations of convenience and accessibility that have changed Â-- and that's where digital offerings should come in.

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Is Multifamily Housing the Next Lending Bubble?

09/18/14

The multifamily housing sector is likely to remain healthy thanks to favorable demographics Â-- but the apartment market is almost certainly past peak for this cycle.

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Morning Scan: Fed Walks a Fine Line on Rates; DoJ Vows to Prosecute Bankers

09/18/14

Receiving Wide Coverage ...

Fed Balancing Act: The Federal Reserve's policy-making Federal Open Market Committee announced Wednesday that the central bank will keep interest rates low in the near-term, though it could change course sooner than expected if data shows greater economic improvement. The Fed's statement, which was approved by an 8-2 vote, noted that unemployment levels remain subpar. "There are still too many people who want jobs but cannot find them, too many who are...

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Why the Local Food Movement Is Good for Community Banking

09/17/14

The rise of microbreweries and farm-to-table restaurants is a sign that Americans are increasingly willing to sacrifice scale and endless options to support businesses that cater to local tastes and values.

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Morning Scan: CFTC Wins Overseas Swaps Suit; Credit Suisse in Trouble with Fed

09/17/14

Receiving Wide Coverage ...

A Win for the CFTC: A federal judge has given the Commodity Futures Trading Commission a green light to regulate overseas swaps trading. Citing the CFTC's mandate under the Dodd-Frank Act, the judge "dismissed arguments by three Wall Street trade groups that the CFTC overstepped its authority in issuing new rules and guidance related to overseas swaps transactions," the Wall Street Journal reports. The New York Times suggests the ruling signals a...

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