Banco Popular de Puerto Rico

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Financial institutions are required to thoroughly "know" their customers and vet transactions for potential criminal connections in a way that other critical service industries are not. (Imagine an electric company quizzing its customers about what appliances they plug into the wall.) Ellen Zimiles, a former assistant U.S. attorney who now heads the global investigations and compliance practice at Navigant Consulting, explains why banks have been given special responsibilities.