DoJ

The Department of Justice in the Trump administration hatched a plan to consider reforming its bank-merger review process, raising industry hopes about overhauling the outdated regime. But progressives want the agency to give more thought to the harm bank combinations cause consumers, including further branch closings.

The Justice Department's probe of Visa highlights whether merchants are properly equipped to adapt to the cost of debit spending as more commerce goes digital.

The Justice Department's probe of Visa highlights whether merchants are properly equipped to adapt to the cost of debit spending as more commerce goes digital.

The Justice Department has already successfully intervened to break up Visa's deal to buy Plaid. Merchants welcome reports that it is looking at Visa's routing practices.

The Justice Department has already successfully intervened to break up Visa's deal to buy Plaid. Merchants welcome reports that it is looking at Visa's routing practices.

The incoming Biden administration must take steps to block mergers that could create monopolies, such as Visa's pending acquisition of a competitor.

The incoming Biden administration must take steps to block mergers that could create monopolies, such as Visa's pending acquisition of a competitor.

Thomas Pinder held jobs at the Justice Department and FDIC before coming to the American Bankers Association in 2012.

In its lawsuit against Visa, the Justice Department alleges the card network's $5.3 billion deal to buy Plaid is meant to neutralize a competitive threat — even though Visa and Plaid do not see themselves as competing with each other.

The Department of Justice can still investigate and arrest the developers behind the automatic transactions, says Exante's Anatoliy Knyazev.