'Stolen' funds returned, MUFG's ambitions and a 30-minute mortgage: Top stories of the week

03/29/18

A BankThink argues that Treasury's GSE cash infusions are just the return of stolen money; MUFG wants its Union Bank to be one of the nation's 10 largest; fintech promises a 30-minute mortgage; and more.

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Blockchain collective snags big fish: Ripple

03/29/18

Becoming a member Hyperledger fits Ripple’s ideal of allowing different blockchains or distributed ledgers to communicate with each other.

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Fed launches study of causes and effects of payments fraud

03/29/18

The announcement comes after a Federal Reserve Board task force issued a report in September that said it would further examine options for modernizing the U.S. payments system.

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If regulators can’t fix bank culture, who can?

03/29/18

Policies to shore up banks’ corporate cultures have remained a low priority even though some regulators want to attack the issue head on. Strengthening a firm’s ethical values may best be left to a bank’s internal brass.

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Don't let next financial crisis catch you off guard

03/29/18

Banks should ensure that their employees are nimble enough to react when unexpected situations arise, just as many had to do during the 2008 crisis.

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When it comes to emojis, banks just ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

03/29/18

Customers are sprinkling symbols into their texts, and it's a challenge for banks to fine-tune systems to support the use of the cartoon code in communications.

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Barclays to pay $2 billion to settle mortgage securities suit

03/29/18

The investigation targeted 36 residential mortgage-backed securities deals involving $31 billion worth of loans, more than half of which defaulted, according to the Justice Department.

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Consumers lose when small banks can't compete

03/29/18

Burdensome regulation has made it hard for community institutions to operate alongside bigger rivals, leaving consumers with less choice and more expensive banking options.

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Amazon’s next challenge: Teens without cards, checking accounts

03/29/18

Amazon.com has millennial shoppers nailed down. And their parents. And most of their grandparents. But one group of potential customers has eluded the world's biggest internet retailer: teenagers.

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Gunmaker gets loan from JPMorgan, Franklin after others said no

03/29/18

For Remington Outdoor Co., one of the oldest firearms makers in the U.S., not even going bankrupt is easy these days.

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