BankThink

Obama Needs to Pick a Fed Chairman Now

09/17/13

The first thing President Obama should have done after Larry Summers’ withdrawal was nominate Janet Yellen to be Fed chairman. Appointing the first woman to lead the Fed should be a historic moment. Obama has turned it into a consolation prize.

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Litigation Surge Could End TBTF

09/17/13

Incessant lawsuits and enforcement actions convert a taxpayer problem into a shareholder concern, immune to lobbying efforts. The surge will lead to restructuring efforts, including spinoffs, as managers seek to simplify operations and improve performance.

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The Future of ACH Payments

09/17/13

Widespread adoption of same-day settlement will level the competitive playing field for all financial institutions and allow all account holders to benefit from expedited settlement.

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Get Ready to Add About $800 Million (and an Admission of Guilt) to JPM's 'Whale' Losses

09/17/13

Receiving Wide Coverage ...

'Whale' Settlement: Anonymice are telling their favorite news outlets that JPMorgan Chase is nearing an about $750 million to $800 million settlement with U.S. and U.K. regulators related to last year's pesky $6 billion "London Whale" trading loss. In a big win for the Securities and Exchange Commission, the civil settlement, which could be announced as early as this week, is expected to include an admission of wrongdoing. This admission, part of...

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There Are Responsible Payday Lenders Out There

09/16/13

Many regulators and pundits overlook the distinct difference between responsible lenders who offer a safe, reliable loan product, and unscrupulous lenders who commit fraudulent acts and scam consumers.

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Next Reform Target: The Banker's Brain

09/16/13

Policy reform efforts will fall short until bankers at the largest institutions stop worshiping complexity, prioritize service and long-term relationships, and encourage employees to pipe up rather than hide problems.

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JPMorgan Should Have Gone Further to Retool Risk Governance

09/16/13

Having one risk expert on the board’s risk committee is better than none, but a bit like having a general physician in an operating room when a heart surgeon, oncologist or anesthesiologist is needed.

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JPMorgan Should Have Gone Further to Retool Risk Governance

09/16/13

Having one risk expert on the board’s risk committee is better than none, but a bit like having a general physician in an operating room when a heart surgeon, oncologist or anesthesiologist is needed.

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Summers Withdraws from Fed Chair Race; Hey, Remember the Financial Crisis?

09/16/13

Receiving Wide Coverage ...

Summers Withdraws: Big news broke over the weekend when Lawrence Summers, one of the two top candidates, took his name out of consideration for the Federal Reserve chairman spot, writing in a letter to President Barack Obama "that any possible confirmation process for me would be acrimonious and would not serve the interest of the Federal Reserve, the Administration or, ultimately, the interests of the nation's ongoing economic recovery." (Full text of...

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Five Years After Lehman, [Insert Thought Here]

09/13/13

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week.

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