BankThink

Your article "Banks, CUs Join to Stamp Out Check 21 Patent Troll" dated June 27 discussed "patent trolls" and "meritless patent lawsuits brought by non-practicing entities looking for deep pockets and easy money." You referred to a patent infringement suit recently filed in Delaware by Serverside Group Limited & Serverside Graphics, Inc. Readers may come away with the false impression that the Serverside plaintiffs are "patent trolls" and/or "non-practicing entities."

During NAFCU's annual meeting in San Francisco last week there was some discussion about how long NCUA could hold out before it's swept up into the FDIC. Implicit in that scenario seems to be an assumption that the FDIC has its act together, while CUs see their regulator as just not up to the job.

On Wednesday the Fed issued its "final" Durbin regulation, Reg. II. The release is 307 pages. Amidst many details about subaccounts, fraud costs and routing options, there is a clarion wake-up call to the retail banking industry.

The atmosphere in D.C. is hyper-partisan, a presidential election is looming and the economy is barely limping along. We need someone who has credibility with both political parties, experience working in a crisis situation, and the ability to get things done. That person is Sheila Bair. Why? Let's count the ways.

The size of JPMorgan's derivatives book reflects the preferences of counterparties and its own risk management policies. It has nothing with deposit insurance or being too big to fail.

It's hard to imagine that new systemic capital requirements for large banks will not raise the expectations for community banks.

Despite a 4 to 1 vote by the Federal Reserve Board on its final interchange rule, one thing all the governors could agree on was this: Don't blame us, Congress made us to do it.

The cap on debit interchange may be final, but the political fight isn't over. Make sure cardholders (voters!) understand and are repeatedly reminded they are paying for Congress's price controls.

Loan Value Group LLC's Responsible Homeowner Reward program is gaining some fans on the Internet.

Wells Fargo & Co. and Bank of America Corp. have agreed to hand off some of the foreclosed properties they own in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.