Consumer banking
Community banks that specialize in lending to niche segments, such as professional athletes or energy-services companies, are managing to overcome the sluggish revenue growth at some of their rivals. Rod Taylor, an executive recruiter at Taylor & Co., explains.
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First quarter earnings results were all over the map for the biggest banks, but for the next tier some distinct trends are emerging. Among them: pockets of strength and an emphasis on cost controls. American Banker editors discuss.
April 17 -
As banks increasingly compete to manage their most affluent customers' assets, some financial companies are using savvy strategies to win a share of this lucrative business. American Banker reporters discuss the tactics some banks are using to stand out from the wealth-management crowd.
April 16
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For big banks, good first-quarter earnings news is likely to be in short supply. In addition to struggling with the usual suspects weak loan demand, more regulation they have a number of institution-specific issues to contend with. American Banker editors discuss.
April 9 -
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is facing mounting problems over racial disparities in its hiring and performance evaluation practices, which have drawn criticism and Congressional scrutiny. American Banker reporters discuss what's next for the CFPB and its critics, and what Director Richard Cordray could do to improve his agency's situation.
April 7 -
An upcoming Senate Banking Committee vote this month could be the tipping point needed for housing finance reform to actually happen or it could signal yet more stagnation. American Banker editors discuss the political stakes and potential pitfalls as Congress attempts to change how the government supports the mortgage market.
April 2 -
The U.S. Post Office should get into banking. With that assertion, agency Inspector General David Williams created quite a stir a few months ago. Behind the proposal are dueling postal officials with very different policy positions and agendas. Plus a murmur of momentum on Capitol Hill. American Banker reporter Kevin Wack explains.
March 28 -
For mortgage lenders, "subprime" can sound like a dirty word, especially after the financial crisis. But now some mortgage companies, in search of new business, are starting to loosen their credit standards again. As some banks and nonbank lenders, including Wells Fargo and Carrington Mortgage, offer mortgages to less creditworthy borrowers, are the subprime mortgage floodgates about to open wide?
March 26 -
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that the Federal Reserve acted appropriately in setting restrictions on debit card swipe fees, marking a critical victory for banks and a major setback for retailers. American Banker editors discuss what the ruling is likely to mean for the debit card industry and whether it represents the end of the high-stake battle.
March 21 -
The fraud-fighting EMV chips that are a card-industry standard in Europe finally appear to be on the verge of becoming one in the U.S. Editors discuss why now and what the diffusion of the technology will mean for bankers and merchants.
March 20
