BankThink

Banking on Inertia: Not a Customer Retention Strategy

10/27/11

If the only thing preventing a customer exodus is the sheer hassle of switching banks, there is a real danger that one day an enterprising company or competitor will come along and make defection easier.

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Volcker Rule Wouldn't Have Stopped Subprime Craze

10/26/11

A lot of the most toxic securities were held in their so-called proprietary trading accounts, but these securities generally weren't traded. So the Volker Rule doesn't address the mislabeled problem.

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How N.Y. Fed's Dudley Can Be Occupy Wall Street's Hero

10/26/11

I'm hoping William Dudley would consider a meander down the street to Zuccotti Park, with the Fed's consent order against Goldman Sachs in hand. Let the crowd know that the Fed not only shares your pain, but has a few analgesics that might make you feel a bit better.

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The Underserved Are Not Who You Think They Are

10/25/11

Being financially underserved is less about demographics than about behavior, preferences and cash flow. The underserved tend to have less of a financial cushion, and as a result live "just in time."

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Make the Treasury Responsible for 'Unofficial' Debt

10/25/11

The huge debt of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is not "considered officially to be part of the total debt of the federal government," the Federal Reserve coyly notes.

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Bankers, Beware of Auditors Who Blow Off Their Regulator

10/25/11

Bank executives, audit committees and shareholders are at risk of additional scrutiny and unwelcome publicity under the best-case scenario - and audit failures under the worst case - if their auditor wages a protracted fight with the PCAOB.

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Keep the Volcker Rule Brief, Let the Regulators Referee

10/24/11

Let's revert to a much simpler restatement of the Volcker legislative language and then actually put in place a sufficient number of savvy regulators to watch over the proprietary trading practices of the industry.

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Geithner's Vague Threat to Banks Does More Harm than Good

10/24/11

Who would put a single dollar in an industry that has been put on notice of impending punishment of unknown severity? Telling the voting public to "stay tuned" is tantamount to telling the investing public to stay away.

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Get the Government Out of Questionable Mortgages

10/21/11

Offer inducements for homeownership and affordable housing more incisively and selectively through the tax system, where the cost is readily measurable and immediate.

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Occupy Wall Street's 'Other 99%' Are Deadbeats Too

10/21/11

As Occupy Wall Street gains national attention bashing bankers, it's giving a free ride to the 'Other 99%' who enjoy the perks of a nation living beyond its means.

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