Data Sets

Many politicians who are partial to big government, including Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, are embracing a Jan. 27 proposal by the Postal Service's inspector general to allow the post office to sell prepaid cards and make small-dollar loans. Some have dubbed the proposal a "public option" for consumer financial services.While the USPS inspector general envisions the private banking sector having some involvement in its proposal, many details of that role have yet to be determined. Countries around the world offer a variety of models on how to structure a postal bank. Following is a look at various approaches.

Bankers have plenty of complaints about government, yet a steady stream of industry notables is striving to join the public sector's ranks. Former and current executives, central bankers and other financiers have sought and held political office through the years, both at state and national levels. Here are some who made - or have tried to make - the leap.

The recent Target breach has loomed large among the media, cardholders, bankers, retailers and lawmakers. But it's not the largest card-related data breach, nor even the latest - it's only one link in a large chain of security lapses over the past decade. Following is a look at some of the most memorable events.

A selection of images featuring credit unions' efforts in their communities.

Payment cards can sometimes do more than just make purchases. Some pack in odd functions; others are high-tech takes on the aging magnetic-stripe card.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. As excerpted from the Comments sections of AmericanBanker.com articles.

A selection of images featuring credit unions' efforts in their communities.

Five years ago, Starbucks was primarily a coffee company. Today, it's a pioneer in mobile payments technology with a significant portion of its U.S. transactions made using its smartphone app. And according to the company's CEO, this is only the beginning.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. As excerpted from the Comments sections of AmericanBanker.com articles.

Community banks are still struggling to regain their financial footing following the drying up of mortgage refinancings. But quarterly results are providing some glimmers of hope. Here are the highs and lows from the nearly 200 community banks that have reported so far.

Branches are vital to attracting new customers and cross-selling to existing ones, but they're also expensive. Some banks, like Washington Federal (WAFD) and U.S. Bancorp (USB), continue to add branches. But most institutions are focused on pruning their networks to cut costs. Here's a sampling of how banks are adjusting branch networks to suit changing strategies.

Banks and other companies headquartered abroad have been busy buying and selling financial firms in the United States recently. Here's a look at M&A activity lately that's had a distinctly international flavor.

Banks and others have been rolling out new technologies and updated features in recent weeks that are designed to improve customer satisfaction. Following are five ways banks are aiming to use software upgrades to delight customers in major and minor ways.

The most notable quotes from American Banker stories of the previous week. Readers are encouraged to add their own observations in the Comments fields at the bottom of each slide.

A number of community banks have removed CEOs, announced plans to sell or reached compromises with dissident shareholders in recent weeks. And proxy season has yet to hit its stride.

A selection of images featuring credit unions' efforts in their communities.

Mobile carriers are becoming more heavily involved in the payments world. Many are spearheading tests and full deployments of mobile wallets throughout the world, and some like T-Mobile are launching prepaid cards as well.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. As excerpted from the Comments sections of AmericanBanker.com articles.

Regulators acted last week to try to ease the pain for community banks that hold complex securities covered by the Volcker Rule. But for some institutions, the fix either came too late or didn't help at all. Following are banks that were expected to take a loss as a result of the Volcker Rule.

The most notable quotes from American Banker stories of the previous week. Readers are encouraged to add their own observations in the Comments fields at the bottom of each slide.