BankThink

Job seekers received an unexpected and unwelcome response from The Washington Post last week, when the paper alerted users of its job ad site that it had suffered a data breach.

Those ubiquitous Web ads promising a flatter stomach if you obey "one weird old tip" are actually scams to get consumers' credit card details, the Federal Trade Commission says.

Morgan Stanley sent two letters to clients explaining that their names, addresses, account and tax identification numbers had been compromised.

Booz Allen Hamilton, a contractor for the U.S. military and federal agencies, is the apparent victim of a hacking incident, The New York Times reported Monday.

Kyle McDonald was investigated after posting to his blog photos taken by the built-in webcams in the demo machines on display at an Apple Inc. retail store in New York, according to a July 8 story on Business Insider.

The largest bank holding company in the U.S. is shooting for only 7% of Basel III Tier 1 common equity. Come again?

Receiving Wide Coverage ...B of A's Mortgage Mess: Tens of thousands of Bank of America borrowers will be evicted as a result of the bank's $8.5 billion settlement with regulators over mortgage-backed securities, the Times reported. Bank of America servicing executive Tony Meola said, "While not a desirable outcome, the recovery of the housing markets depends on moving through the foreclosure process as quickly and fairly as possible." Meanwhile, the settlement, plus the specter of an additional settlement, of up to $7 billion, with the 50 state attorneys general over mortgage-servicing practices, could leave the bank short of equity, according to the Journal's "Heard on the Street" column. Wall Street Journal, New York Times

As bankers anxiously await the anticipated 300 new regulations from Dodd-Frank regulators have continued their assault on banking practices. Bankers have recently been concerned about the details and expected requirements regarding automated overdraft-payment programs that were initially issued last November, with follow-up explanations provided in late March.

Housing and Urban Development released its final rule on the Secure and Fair Enforcement Mortgage Licensing Act at the end of June. It exempts employees of government agencies, loan servicers, mortgage modifiers and employees of non-profit agencies from licensing and registration requirements in the act.

I spent an hour and 15 minutes at a roundtable discussion during NAFCU's annual meeting in San Francisco. Attitudes that had always been so Winnie the Pooh-like in finding the positive have, I'm afraid, become much more like those of Eeyore. Or, just plain poo.