BankThink

Rakuten refiles with FDIC for ILC charter

05/29/20

The Japanese e-commerce giant is taking another run at a U.S. banking charter after receiving feedback from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. about its initial application, which was withdrawn earlier this year.

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Credit card lenders clamp down to mitigate coronavirus risk

05/29/20

Since March, issuers have tightened their criteria for opening new accounts and closed millions of existing ones in hopes of avoiding waves of defaults.

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PPP loan forgiveness, BofA’s cost cutting, Amex’s cloud commitment: Top stories of the week

05/29/20

The SBA issues guidance on Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness; after staffing up for PPP, Bank of America may need to delay investments to meet cost targets; American Express has leaned hard on cloud tech to help employees work at home during the pandemic.

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6 key Senate races for bankers to watch

05/29/20

Several Senate Banking Committee members from both parties are facing tough reelection challenges in a year when control of the entire chamber — and the banking policy agenda — may be up for grabs.

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Fed policies ‘absolutely’ don’t add to inequality, Powell says

05/29/20

Chairman Jerome Powell said the Federal Reserve's actions during the coronavirus outbreak have been aimed squarely at helping U.S. workers, not Wall Street or wealthier Americans. He also said Friday that a new lending program geared toward middle-market firms is "days away" from getting up and running.

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The reasons some banks have a hard stop on PPP lending

05/29/20

Many lenders are paying close attention to liquidity and capital ratios. Others are trying to avoid overtaxing employees who process, service and handle forgiveness of the loans.

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OCC finishes rule meant to sidestep 'Madden' ruling

05/29/20

The new regulation is intended as a workaround for banks affected by the 2015 decision that created legal uncertainty for loans sold across state lines.

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Citi breaks with rivals on whether work from home is permanent

05/29/20

Though he acknowledged working remotely has definite advantages, CEO Michael Corbat says “our goal is to get our employees back."

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Wells Fargo struggling to stay under asset cap amid pandemic, CEO says

05/29/20

Even after the Fed eased some limitations in April to promote emergency lending, the bank has had to make some “tough choices” to heed the $1.95 trillion growth ceiling set by regulators in the aftermath of its phony-accounts scandal.

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Banks told by EU to take climate change into account in lending

05/29/20

European authorities have told banks for the first time to take account of environmental risks in lending decisions, ramping up pressure on the financial industry to respond to climate change.

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