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Democratic infighting over a bill to curb the reach of the Dodd-Frank Act dominated discussion this past week, but Amazon still made waves in its disruptor role. Also: Our 'Best Fintechs to Work For' debuted.
Mark Warner
Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia and ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, speaks during a hearing on worldwide threats in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Feb. 13, 2018. From missiles to cyberattacks, the annual intelligence assessment of global threats paints a world where China and Russia seek to upend U.S. influence as allies uncertain of American commitment may turn away from Washington. Photographer: Zach Gibson/Bloomberg

As Senate nears big vote, Dodd-Frank shows its staying power

The Senate is poised to pass the most substantial bank regulatory relief since the crisis, but any disruption of the post-crisis regime is still eclipsed by how much the bill enshrines Dodd-Frank.

(Full story here.)
Survey of bank customers on their interest in free checking from Amazon

Five takeaways from Amazon's flirtation with checking

News that Amazon is courting banks to help it offer its own branded checking account raises major questions about which banks could be helped or hurt, who would control the relationship and how Amazon's partner(s) would make money.

(Full story here.)
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Signage is displayed in at an Amazon.com Inc. Pop-Up store inside the Lakeview Whole Foods Market Inc. store in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., on Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. Amazon.com Inc. is betting that people shopping for discounted organic Thanksgiving turkeys at Whole Foods this week may decide to pick up an Echo digital assistant as well. The company is using the holiday moment and its broader brick-and-mortar presence to further a lead in the emerging market for voice-activated smart home speakers. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg

How would regulators react to Amazon-JPM checking partnership?

The negotiations between Amazon and big banks like JPMorgan Chase and Capital One to offer a checking-account-like product pose significant questions for regulators about the e-commerce giant pushing further into the banking space.

(Full story here.)
Natalie Bartholomew

How a millennial blogger is shaping dialogue on women in banking

Natalie Bartholomew, a banker in Oklahoma, has launched a blog designed to promote women's issues and tout her peers' accomplishments.

(Full story here.)
The employees at nCino love, love, love the water.

How fintech firms get peak performance from employees

The fintech industry has some cool workplace quirks, but behind the fun factor is a serious mission to build an enthusiastic, satisfied workforce.

(Full story here.)
U.S. market share for bank core systems vendors

Small-bank contract negotiators expand from core systems to fintech

The Golden Contract Coalition, formed in mid-2016 to get community banks better deals with the "big three" core systems vendors, said banks need help with buying from fintech sellers as well.

(Full story here.)
Mick Mulvaney
Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), listens 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

Mulvaney's idea for curbing CFPB's clout: Hand it to other agencies

The Dodd-Frank Act consolidated massive authority under the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, but acting Director Mick Mulvaney wants the bureau to take a back seat to states and other federal regulators.

(Full story here.)
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US congress building in Washington DC, with blue sky

Dear Congress: Reg relief bill is a giveaway for large banks

The Senate legislation would weaken scrutiny of large financial institutions, undercutting Dodd-Frank's mission to provide tailored oversight across the system.

(Full story here.)
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rubber stamps marked with regulations and rules

Community banks like mine sorely need regulatory relief

A New Hampshire bank CEO argues that the reform bill awaiting a vote in the Senate will free up community banks to focus more on their customers and less on compliance.

(Full story here.)
Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, chair of the Senate Banking Committee
Senator Mike Crapo, a Republican from Idaho, speaks before Janet Yellen, chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve, not pictured, testifies during a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2017. Yellen said more interest-rate increases will be appropriate if the U.S. economy meets the central bank's outlook of gradually rising inflation and tightening labor markets. Photographer: Aaron P. Bernstein/Bloomberg

Crapo bill is right to help less risky regional banks

The legislation up for debate in the Senate reduces regulatory burdens for midsize financial institutions, a good step forward in amending the Dodd-Frank Act.

(Full story here.)
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