BankThink

The new year will bring risk in marketplace lending, but progress will be made in micropayments platforms and regulators embracing innovators.

As regulators open the door to payment startups and other fintech firms applying for bank charters, what has already been a long journey to this point is only going to get more intense.

American Banker is pleased to bring you Breaking Banks, hosted by Brett King, and featuring the editors of American Banker.

The case against Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is stronger than the argument for their survival.

The similarities between the mortgage crisis and subprime auto lending in 2016 are all too obvious, with constrained cash flows, defaults and investor losses all likely.

Editor's note: Morning Scan will publish next on Jan. 3, 2017. Happy holidays from all of us at American Banker and SourceMedia.

Fraud involving third parties and advance fees can be vexing for merchants. But doing lots of homework can mitigate the threat.

At a time when individual accountability at corporations is mounting, here is how compliance officers can detect and prevent fraud occurrences within their own firms.

Had Wells Fargo simply complied with regulatory guidelines on multifactor authentication across all channels, there would have been substantially less fraud.

Receiving Wide Coverage ...Pay up: The European Court of Justice ruled that Spanish lenders must reimburse mortgage borrowers for charging them excess interest payments on variable-rate mortgages. The ruling, which can't be appealed, follows a 2013 decision by Spain's highest court that outlawed "mortgage floor" agreements on loans because banks didn't pass along the savings from low rates to customers. The ECJ confirmed the Spanish court decision but also said borrowers could seek reimbursement for all excess payments dating back to 2009 when the loans were introduced. Under the ruling, Spanish banks may have to refund 4.5 billion euros, or about $4.68 billion, to customers. Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, New York Times