BankThink

U.S. Bank's steep price for instant payments risks limiting the feature's appeal. Rather than overcharging, banks need to think longer-term about how to drive payments volume.

B of A's Stress Test Team; Hedge Funds Sue Puerto Rico GDB

Instant electronic payments are a sine qua non of modern life. Real-time card-authorization systems were implemented in the mid-seventies and, in an era of mobile ubiquity, enable commerce anywhere, anytime. In contrast, payments between bank accounts generally aren't instant.

Recent devaluations of startups and other signs of trouble do not mean the end of fintech upheaval but rather the start of acquisitions and other repositioning to advance stability.

When negativity threatens to stall progress, some surprisingly simple “little tricks” can help resolve conflict and get employees more engaged, says Michelle Stacy, who spoke at a recent Pennsylvania Bankers Association conference.

Pew Charitable Trusts argues that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau needs to impose new rules on checking account overdraft policies. Does an analysis of CFPB's complaint database support this conclusion? Haberfeld's Achim Griesel says no.

Panama Papers; Tour de Kashkari; Citi Active Overseas

In order for mobile payments to be successful, there has to be a sustained effort to communicate the worth and educate both the consumer and the merchant.

Rather than look at the hard problem of restructuring the banking system, critics of the largest institutions should focus on the more immediate issues pertaining to extremely high capital requirements, which may hamper economic activity.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission's proposal to obtain trader source code sets a dangerous precedent of regulators impinging on firms' constitutional protection from search and seizure.