In 1977, when CRA was passed by Congress, banks conducted business from their branches. The statute needs to change to reflect how business is done in today's banking system
Unless there is a quick, clear fix to the Countrywide Financial problem, such as the bankruptcy option, B of A stock will continue to languish as the market will always assume the worse.
There was widespread speculation the U.K.'s Independent Commission on Banking would create at large market for contingent capital securities. But its recently released final version of the Vicker's report does no such thing.
Spending heavily on branches implies trying to spread branch costs over as many customers and products as possible - rather than spending incrementally on other marketing channels.
The SEC release questioning many long-standing features of mortgage real-estate investment trusts is an unfortunate development for the market as it will delay capital raising efforts and IPOs.
You may already be involved in attempting to engage your customers and prospects through social media, but how are the same social channels influencing activity throughout your bank?
A rising regulatory focus on unfair, deceptive and abusive acts and practices has made, "show me where it says we can't do that," a very dangerous sentence.
Looking at the history of unsuccessful efforts to tame the economic cycle, one must ask whether Dodd-Frank will harm, rather than help the Fed's ability to react in the next crisis.
