Consumer banking
Momentum is building on both sides of the aisle for significant reform of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. American Banker staffers discuss what's behind the Senate's rare show of bipartisanship.
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American Banker editors discuss the prospects for reducing the roles of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in housing finance and the obstacles a pullback would face.
May 24 -
The death of branches appears to be greatly exaggerated, but they are changing. American Banker editors discuss how two banks that are leading the way, Wells Fargo and Umpqua, are downsizing and rejiggering their bricks and mortar presence.
May 23
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Attendees at the Bitcoin2013 conference were excited about the technology's potential to disrupt the payments business specifically micropayments, international remittances and charitable giving.
May 22 -
JPMorgan Chase shareholders have voted in favor of allowing Jamie Dimon to continue in his dual role as chairman and CEO. However, Dimon emerges from the fight bruised and facing formidable challenges.
May 21 -
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid plans to hold a long-awaited vote later this week on the confirmation of Richard Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. With the opposition GOP planning to block the nomination, the move is a rehash of past battles and a sign that politics is once again trumping pragmatism in bank policymaking, argues Washington Bureau Chief Rob Blackwell. Ironically, the Republican's opposition will keep the CFPB focused largely on banks, rather than on their nonbank rivals, and could end up doing their banker friends more harm than good.
May 21 -
The best-connected bankers in town combine heartfelt community involvement with hard-headed pragmatism about the importance of personal relationships when doing business. American Banker Magazine Editor Heather Landy discusses what others can learn from their examples.
May 20 -
Tim Pawlenty, the CEO of the Financial Services Roundtable, says the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been forging a "constructive" relationship with the banking industry, especially as it dealt with qualified mortgage and remittance rules.
May 20 -
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Congress are pushing for fixes to the student loan market, but some of their proposals are focused on the relatively small portion of loans made by banks and other private lenders.
May 10 -
The Dodd-Frank Act's ban on pure commercial ownership of industrial loan companies is set to expire in July. American Banker editors discuss the pros and cons of allowing a commercial enterprise like Wal-Mart into the banking business at a time when the previous argument against doing so has been turned on its head.
May 8
