Hard part of reg relief, pot banking regtech, Mulvaney's twist: Top stories of the week

Federal bank regulators consider roughly a dozen new rules; firms tout tools to help financial institutions bank legal marijuana-related businesses; Mick Mulvaney defends CFPB enforcement powers; and more from this week's most-read stories.

The hard part of reg relief is just getting started

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The federal bank regulators are considering roughly a dozen new rulemakings in response to the bill rolling back certain sections of Dodd-Frank.

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KeyCorp exec bolts for Toyota

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Vipin Gupta, who was chief information officer at Key Community Bank, will oversee strategy for information technology at Toyota Financial Services.

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Banks team with fintechs to bring AI to commercial accounting

Manish Kohli, global head of payments and receivables for Citi’s Treasury and Trade Solutions division
Citi and other banks are investing in automation aimed at speeding up the old-fashioned process for institutional clients' receivables and payables.

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Pot banking regtech is ready for its moment

Growth of depository institutions that bank marijuana businesses.
Several firms are touting tools to help financial institutions bank legal marijuana-related businesses, an industry expected to yield $10 billion in retail sales this year.

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CFPB orders TCF to refund consumers for overdraft charges

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Exterior of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Washington, DC USA
The bank also agreed to pay a $5 million fine to settle allegations over how it obtained consumers' consent.
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In a twist, Mulvaney now defending CFPB enforcement powers

Acting CFPB Director Mick Mulvaney
Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), speaks during a Senate Budget Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018. Mulvaney discussed the $4.4 trillion federal budget plan that would slash entitlements and other domestic programs in favor of higher spending on the military and immigration enforcement. Photographer: Zach Gibson/Bloomberg
An uptick in fines and a new tactic to counter claims about the CFPB's authority contrast sharply with the agency's rhetoric.

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Synovus returns to large-scale M&A with FCB acquisition

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The $2.9 billion deal is the Georgia company's first traditional whole-bank acquisition since 2006. It is also the year's second-biggest bank acquisition.

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HSBC's strategy to improve digital services for commercial clients

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The bank sees its global reach as an advantage in supporting evolving business customer needs.

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With loan growth tepid, banks are short on ways to juice profits

Total loan growth at big banks in second quarter of 2018
Despite some green shoots in key credit segments, total loan growth was light at many banks last quarter. Rate hikes are threatened, and deposits will get pricier — where will the earnings come from?

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EBay's Apple, Square pacts could strangle community banks

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The ebay Inc. logo and website are arranged for a photograph in Tiskilwa, Illinois, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. Ebay Inc. is scheduled to release earnings figures after the close of U.S. financial markets on Jan. 21. Photographer Daniel Acker/Bloomberg
With just two partnerships, eBay is cutting off a big opportunity for community banks.

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