law-regulation

CFPB's Prepaid Card Rules Would Squelch Financial Inclusion

06/15/15

The cumbersome regulations for prepaid products proposed by CFPB could reduce market competition, discourage innovation and effectively cut off many Americans' participation in the digital economy.

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More Competition Would Rally Mortgage Market

06/10/15

Fannie and Freddie should offer upfront risk-sharing options in order to give lenders an opportunity to lower their guarantee fees while encouraging more private capital and competition to flow into the secondary mortgage market.

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Basel III Pulls the Rug Out from Community Banks

06/09/15

The harsh capital treatment of Trups holdings under Basel III undoes the regulatory relief already extended to community banks that had invested in the securities.

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The Next Sheriff of Wall Street Should Learn to Play Nice

06/08/15

New York financial watchdog Benjamin Lawsky is stepping down, and his successor is likely to follow a similar strict yet innovative approach to Wall Street oversight. However, the next head of NYDFS would likely benefit from better industry relations.

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With Big Data Comes Big Responsibility

06/03/15

Big data has the potential to help people save money, improve their lifestyles, treat existing ailments and prevent new ones. But it's up to the business sector to earn the trust of consumers and lawmakers.

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Keep Dreaming, Regulators: Bailout Risk Is Alive and Well

06/03/15

The "too big to fail" problem can't be solved with living wills and orderly liquidation. Rather, a structural solution is needed to reduce the size of mega-institutions.

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Using Unreliable Data Won't Help Credit Invisibles

06/02/15

FICO discards incomplete and old credit history information for a good reason. The solution to today's credit-access problems is not to use this unreliable data but to turn to alternative data such as the payment of everyday bills.

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How to Avoid Market Panics When Big Banks Fail: Weekly Wrap

05/29/15

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week, including a call for a small-business loan brokers' code of ethics and why Congress needs to level the playing field for investors in bank obligations.

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The Best Big-Bank Resolution Plan: Avoid Crises in the First Place

05/26/15

By ensuring that all big-bank investors receive equal treatment in bankruptcy and looking for other ways to prevent short-term liquidity problems from becoming major financial crises, Congress can avoid the need to test the FDICÂ's ability to resolve large financial institutions.

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Sparring Over Shelby's Reg Reform Bill: Weekly Wrap

05/22/15

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week, including the merits and drawbacks of Sen. Richard Shelby's regulatory reform legislation, whether bigger banks are inherently riskier and banks' evolving interest in blockchain technology.

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