BankThink

The banking industry is getting more scrutiny. That scrutiny can and should include a look at who is in charge.

The political effort to derail the Durbin amendment has been driven by a cynical and false argument that small banks that are exempt from the regulation, nonetheless, will ultimately be forced to receive the lower regulated rates.

What major banking stories from the last 175 years would you like to see from our archives?

Credit unions like to think of themselves as Main Street institutions, but seldom give thought to how Main Street itself has morphed and evolved, much of it often painful.

Hope and optimism: That should be the outlook for CUs today. We are the best option for consumers, and that drives everything that we do.

Now that NCUA has said it has no objections to some corporates moving forward with plans to raise new capital, it is also is a good time to look back at how and why corporates came to be, as much of their good work is simply taken for granted.

Most would agree that the recent financial industry woes have unfairly penalized community banks, resulting in an increasing scope of regulation and harsher regulatory enforcement.

Do small banks deserve to be kept alive with affirmative action set-asides? Should retailers be in the business of subsidizing community banks' uncompetitive debit card operations?

Strategies such as "One HSBC" — which sound good in an analytical report, consulting presentation or boardroom — don't work equally well in 88+ countries.

Business checking accounts are in for a change now that interest will be permitted. Mid-size banks have the biggest opportunity to win over new clients.