BankThink

Government Should Do More to Spur Housing Recovery

04/03/13

Regulators and lawmakers should take steps to encourage banks to use their excess reserves to accommodate consumer credit demand.

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Bankers Are Held Accountable for Their Actions

04/03/13

The record shows that regulators and prosecutors have charged bank D&Os and other employees in ways that affect their personal net worth and freedom.

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SEC Unveils Its Stance on Social Media; Cyprus Update; The Great Housing Debates

04/03/13

Receiving Wide Coverage ...

SEC Unveils Social Media Rules: The Securities and Exchange Commission has decided that companies can use Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets to disclose key information about operations. But there's one catch: investors must be told what handles, Facebook pages, etc. these updates will be posted to. According to the Post, this disclosure rule essentially mimics the guidance issued by the SEC regarding company websites in 2008. Regarding the new social...

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Include Household Expenses to Better Assess Borrower's Ability to Pay

04/02/13

Accounting for utility and car expenses would help lenders make better loan decisions, encourage homebuyers to select affordable houses and support a more sustainable housing market.

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Schapiro's Promontory Move Latest Sign of Too Much Coziness

04/02/13

The former Securities and Exchange Commission chair's move to Promontory Financial is likely to add to public cynicism about a revolving door and regulatory capture.

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Successful Salespeople Get Rejected More than Others

04/02/13

The best sales folks realize rejection isn't a sign they're bad at their jobs. It's a sign they are actually out there doing their jobs.

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Goldman's JOBS Act and Mary Schapiro's New Gig

04/02/13

Receiving Wide Coverage ...

A Goldman Specialty: Today was a morning of scattered financial coverage: the only story to be covered by more than one outlet is a Securities and Exchange Commission filing revealing that Goldman Sachs will launch a specialty finance company. The vehicle will use Goldman and investor money to purchase the high-risk debt of unrated midsized US companies, but don't call that prop trading – it's a business development corporation! And under the...

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FATCA Is Far from a Done Deal

04/01/13

Calls for reciprocity and a lack of participation from Asian-Pacific countries present significant challenges for the overreaching legislation.

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Credit Card Issuers Must Keep an Eye on the 'Spend'

04/01/13

Examining trends in spend activity provides a clear indication of customer engagement, which gives you a keen sense of the overall health of the business.

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Pointing Fingers in Cyprus, Consolidating Branches in U.S.

04/01/13

Receiving Wide Coverage ...

In Cyprus, Patrolling Borders, Pointing Fingers: Cyprus is trying to tighten its borders against attempts by some depositors to bypass capital controls on banks and move money off the island, the FT reports. Police have upped patrols in the southern town of Limassol in an effort to frustrate efforts to extract money from the island by boat. Rules in place since Thursday prevent depositors from taking more than 1,000 euros a day...

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