BankThink

Accelerate consumer adoption, refine the value proposition, align perception with values and begin planning for the next round.

The European trend to restrain CEO pay is gaining momentum in the U.S. It suggests the double-digit raises that American bank bosses have enjoyed the past few years may not last.

The technology fails to deliver a substantial difference in convenience for customers, resembling the struggles faced by the mobile payments industry.

Receiving Wide Coverage ...JPM Shakeup, Day Two: The departure of Frank Bisignano — one of a dozen senior executives to leave JPMorgan in the last four years — "has heightened worries about the persistent executive turnover at the bank," reports the Times. Some "wonder if the many reshufflings at the top point to a larger problem within the bank." Echoing the Journal's story yesterday, the Times calls Bisignano's exit "a particularly difficult loss for the bank … because he was widely considered to be skilled at tackling thorny problems at a time when the bank has been faulted over weak oversight in places." There's also the question of who will succeed chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon whenever he eventually decides to step down; "although the bank's succession plans are not known, he has told people close to him that he is confident the bank will be in good hands when he does decide to leave." Well, that settles that. Looking ahead to the upcoming annual meeting, where shareholders will vote on a proposal to ask the board to split the chairman and CEO roles, the Times says that "if the vote goes against the company and the board decides to split the role, Mr. Dimon might resign rather than see his powers reduced." A "careful-what-you-wish-for" piece in the FT includes that same warning. Even if he stayed on as CEO, the article says, the board would have to recruit "a chairman with the temperament and acumen to stand up to a rambunctious CEO while ensuring he does not walk off. Good luck with that." The Journal's "Heard on the Street" column uses the promotion of one-time bond trader Matt Zames to sole chief operating officer (a role he previously shared with Bisignano) as an occasion to reflect on JPMorgan's reliance on investment banking for profits.

Providers should link their products and services to information and tools that are relevant, timely, actionable and ongoing.

The Consumer Protection Bureau's final rule issued Friday is meant to explain how the agency would use its Civil Penalty Fund, which holds money collected as a result of fines against financial institutions.

Though the Brown-Vitter bill faces challenges from the Obama administration and from the leadership of both parties, it is likely to have an impact on the largest financial institutions either way, as some of the bill's central ideas may pass the opposition.

A payments startup that ignores Bitcoin in its strategic plan is like a publisher ignoring the Web in 1999.

A heightened regulatory focus may be a direct result of early positioning as a business distanced from the rest of the payments industry, which may be keeping more banks from offering prepaid products.

Building a nation of savers will keep more money in our economy, make responsible credit more accessible and improve resiliency when setbacks occur.