consumer-finance

Looking for New Mortgage Leads? Try Naturalized Citizens

09/04/14

Foreign-born nationals with U.S. citizenship have a lot of positive attributes that make them attractive mortgage applicants. What's even better is that millions are still renters.

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Retailers Should Be Held to Stricter Standards on Data Security

08/27/14

Congress should impose national data security standards on retailers in order to ward off cyberattacks and ensure the safekeeping of sensitive customer information, according to Carrie Hunt of the National Association of Federal Credit Unions.

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Expect Faster SBA Loan Decisions, Contreras-Sweet Says

08/25/14

The SBA is committed to modernizing and simplifying its lending practices and, under the Obama administration, the agency has eliminated pages of regulations that were blocking the capital pipeline and hindering the growth of our economy.

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Government Assurance Aside, Marijuana Money Still Risky for Banks

08/25/14

While new government guidance is intended to make banks more willing to do business with legal marijuana dealers, in practice it creates a new set of headaches for bankers.

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Weekly Wrap: Will More Board Duties Curb or Add Risk?; Euro-Whiners

08/08/14

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week.

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Banks Have a Case of Digital Marketing Myopia

08/04/14

Digital channels are not strategies in and of themselves, writes Kevin Tynan. In fact, three important customer groups are unlikely to be swayed by mass emails and pay-per-click advertising.

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Why We Should Scrap Mortgage Interest Deductions

07/31/14

The mortgage interest tax deduction is supposed to encourage homeownership among low- and middle-income Americans. But it primarily benefits higher-income taxpayers, according to a new study from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

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A Diminished Banking System Is Bad for Americans

07/30/14

Community banks are disappearing and big banks' global power is on the wane. Regulators should take steps to reverse these trends so that all Americans have access to the financial services they need, according to the American Bankers Association's Wayne Abernathy.

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Here Comes the Sun: Banking the Upstart Solar Industry

07/28/14

The solar industry is still developing, but Mercatus CEO Haresh Patel has suggestions for banks that want to get in on it now.

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How Banks Can Be More Like the Very Best Brands

07/25/14

Everyone these days is chasing Apple and Amazon.com. But are the strengths of these brands applicable to the banking industry?

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