Emerging markets tend to have low penetration rates for banking services, which gives Western banks an opportunity to grow at a higher rate than is possible in their home markets.
Expansion, with its subpar returns, may make the kingdom bigger, but its citizen investors will be poorer as it traps capital in a hostile environment.
Fair value measurements marked to internal models may satisfy auditors and regulators. But investors demand independent valuations of thinly traded securities to eliminate any appearance of conflicts of interest.
Banks must boost their ability to deliver exceptional experiences at those critical "moments of truth" that matter most to consumers, such as replacing a lost or stolen credit card or negotiating a loan.
There's more confusion in the Obama administration's policy response to the foreclosure crisis than an Abbott and Costello routine. Now the Fed steps up to the plate.
Consumers are regularly disappointed when they are drawn into accounts portrayed as "free" and then wind up being socked with fees and charges. Then they tell all their friends.
In this regulatory environment CEOs need to set compliance priorities. But with so many regulations, and more to come, where to begin? Focus on five areas.
Despite new threats of legal challenges or hopes for structural changes, this agency cannot be wished away. But banks can still influence the size and nature of the role the CFPB will play.
