BankThink

Be afraid. Be very afraid. They're out there, walking among us. Well-organized hordes of fraudsters roaming your online banking channel like the undead, often unseen and unheard until it's too late. Their greatest advantage is invisibility-their uncanny ability to blend in among your honest online members as they consume credentials, identities and eventually assets. But what if you could shine the light of day on these phantom visitors and reveal their surreptitious, shadowy methods?

I tried be polite about it, to tell him no thanks, but he had formerly worked as a time-share salesman and was keenly skilled at not taking "no" for an answer. He invited me in again, and once more I declined. His response was subtle and smooth; I was balking, he kept talking, and soon we were both walking toward the room he had been coaxing me all along to enter-was that his arm around my shoulder gently pushing me or was it some sort of apparition?

During the Halloween season we all see the warnings about what is a Trick and what is a Treat. These educational messages are meant to alert us to those things that might seem enjoyable but, in reality, are really scary. When I see these warnings I am reminded how in the world of information security it seems like new tricks come out everyday.

I was attending a local charity event last night. It was on the 24th floor of the SunTrust Bank Building with one of the most beautiful views of our beloved city.

Are you a gifted leader? Smarter than everyone else? Trusted like Lincoln? Or, would you just be happy to look like one?

The past 10 years have seen an unprecedented wave of branching by financial institutions. With several thousand branches being opened each year at an average cost of more than $2 million, the industry is collectively wagering billions of dollars on the likelihood that consumers will continue to visit physical branches to fulfill their financial needs. But are the investments delivering the returns necessary to justify their capital investments?

The average American will spend 9-11/42 hours in a 24-hour day with some form of media, according to a report in February by MediaPost. Are you penetrating print, online and/or television to reach your members? Did you know you already possess distinct advantages you can leverage to advertise effectively?

On a recent flight from San Diego to Phoenix we were approaching the city in the Valley of the Sun, where it rarely rains. So, naturally there were thunderstorms just northwest of Phoenix and with the ride starting to get rough the captain announced that he wanted all service suspended, flight attendants seated, and everyone buckled up. As we began descending we started bouncing around pretty good when I noticed one flight attendant unbuckling her seatbelt and trying to steady herself against the fuselage wall as she reached for the microphone. Like others, I dreaded the announcement that was surely coming: "Put your head between your knees." "Call your loved ones." "Smoke 'em if you got 'em."

I am writing in response to your Sept. 14 article, "Key Lawmaker Suggests Piecemeal Passage of CURIA." The article may have left readers with the false impression that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has "backed off" in his support of the Credit Union Regulatory Improvements Act in the Senate. I can assure you, this is not the case. Sen. Sanders has been a staunch supporter of credit unions and is always willing to call bankers to task, as he did in his GAO request to study banks and thrifts last year.

The purpose of name and logo testing is NOT to learn whether people LIKE a new name or logo. Although appeal is not irrelevant, the primary purpose of the research is to identify the attributes and brand identity that a name or logo communicates, and the extent to which they are consistent with the desired message of the institution.