Consumer banking
Remittances from the West are a lifeline for many people in the developing world, but anti-money laundering compliance requirements have made it hard for banks and money transmitters to service this market. Ellen Zimiles of Navigant Consulting discusses the delicate balance between regulatory and law enforcement concerns, on the one hand, and business and humanitarian goals on the other.
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Reform of housing finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac gained surprising momentum in recent months. But it's at risk of grinding to a halt as the Capitol Hill is consumed with Syria and the confirmation of a new Federal Reserve chairman. American Banker editors discuss the prospects for GSE legislation amid a packed and contentious legislative agenda.
September 9 -
Deposit balances have declined for two consecutive quarters, threatening a low-cost source of funding for many institutions. American Banker editors discuss the implications and how bankers are responding.
September 6
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The Dodd-Frank Act aimed to make the mortgage market safer by requiring originators to hold onto a portion of the home loans they generate. American Banker Washington bureau chief Rob Blackwell argues that under heavy industry pressure regulators have failed to live up to the spirit of the law and gutted the provision.
September 4 -
John Stumpf, chairman and chief executive of Wells Fargo, wrote an impassioned column for American Banker last week emphasizing the importance of community banks to the national economy and calling for Washington to unburden them from a stifling regulatory regime. Editors discuss why big banks have so much riding on the survival of their smaller rivals.
September 4 -
"Insane" is how one bank CEO characterized what he's seen recently in the competition among banks to win business by loosening loan terms. American Banker editors discuss the trend and the dangers it poses.
August 29 -
Jim Simpson, CTO of City Bank Texas, explains how and why his community bank has been the first U.S. bank to go live with several new mobile banking tools.
August 29 -
Mortgage lenders are facing billions of dollars in new demands that they make whole the government and government-sponsored entities for housing-backed investments that have gone sour. American Banker staffers discuss why now, what additional banks are likely to get sucked in and whether an end to the demands is in sight.
August 28 -
Bitcoin companies have had a tough time getting banks to agree to give them accounts but a New Jersey credit union has agreed to work with Tradehill, a bitcoin exchange. Is this a ray of hope for bitcoin businesses, or will most be doomed to live in exile from the mainstream financial services industry?
August 28 -
A New Jersey credit union has agreed to accept accounts transferred from a trading exchange that handles Bitcoin and other virtual currencies. The move, apparently aimed at attracting business from investors and financial institutions that trade in the alternative forms of tender, could provide them with a much needed level of legitimacy. Staff reporters discuss.
August 27
