Consumer banking
A BusinessWeek cover sparked controversy recently because many saw it as racist. But it also stirred concerns because it reinforced a persistent myth about the financial crisis: that it was caused by predatory borrowers, not lenders.
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Bankers often complain about regulatory intrusion into the free market, but the industry enjoys a host of subsidies. A recent IMF report showing the largest banks get an implicit subsidy to their funding costs equal to their entire profits was just the latest example. From the FHLBs to FHA, from Fannie and Freddie to the FDIC charter, all banks receive some degree of government support and protection from competition.
March 1 -
There's an oversupply of old-fashioned branches, and banks don't know what to do with them, says industry consultant and executive recruiter Rod Taylor.
February 28
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The Federal Housing Finance Agency hasn't explained why it stopped Fannie Mae from slashing its hazard insurance costs by hundreds of millions of dollars. The regulator's decision certainly benefits major banks, however, leading critics to cry foul.
February 26 -
Startups are trying to reinvent the much-maligned payday loan, using Big Data to develop algorithms that can better predict who will default so they can cut the price of short-term, small-dollar credit. But consumer advocates continue to object to these products. Banks have an opportunity to partner with these new entrants, but reputational risk may discourage them from doing so.
February 22 -
Will the Financial Stability Oversight Council be successful at spotting threats before they cause a financial crisis or will it instead create "regulatory hazard" in the form of a false sense of security?
February 21 -
Even as the financial crisis gives way to a recovery, everyone from Sen. Elizabeth Warren to comedian Stephen Colbert are demanding Washington get tough on banks and bankers. The question is what sort of action-if any-will follow.
February 20 -
A decision by the FHFA to study further a proposal by Fannie Mae raises questions about industry pressure to head off a plan that seeks to cut premiums by hundreds of millions of dollars and end controversial payments to banks.
February 12 -
Legislation introduced in several states would ban surcharges on Visa and MasterCard credit card purchases, potentially undercutting a concession retailers won in a proposed legal settlement.
February 11 -
As banks press ahead in introducing mobile services, glitches abound. But many see phone-based banking as a game-changer as customers embrace the technology, warts and all.
February 1
