Fintech

The proposed merger of two family-owned institutions would create a $5 billion-asset bank in Texas.

Ripple Labs Inc., the blockchain startup whose digital money is often used as a proxy for other cryptocurrency payments, is gaining new customers because financial firms are seeking faster, more up-to-date technology than the Swift banking network, Chief Executive Officer Brad Garlinghouse said.

Gartner recently predicted that 80% of banks will become irrelevant by 2030. Analyst Peter Redshaw explains the strategies banks need to execute to survive.

Think of Western Union, and its yellow placard advertising an agent location comes to mind. It's a physical branding and marketing component that few money-transfer providers can match — but one that's of diminishing value in a digital world.

From picnics to products designed for armed service members to building homes for wounded warriors and more, here's a look at how credit unions across the country are making a difference in the lives of veterans.

After bringing in a new leader and overhauling its board, Freedom Bank in northern Virginia is looking at digital upgrades and expansion into new markets to stay relevant.

Taking a cue from his previous success in commercial cash checking services, Conext CEO Michael Casalini hopes a Venmo-style mobile app that supports a quick conversion of checks to digital money can attract small businesses.

Entrepreneurship among veterans has been declining over the past 20 years, according to a report by the SBA and the New York Fed.

The ploys vary widely—digital tracking, fee incentives and "coopetition"—but banks are turning up the volume on innovation to pry businesses away from checks and keep them from signing up with rival tech startups.

Users are not only more rational in their choice of card, but they are also investing time and effort to find ways to maximize their return from reward points, according to Simon-Kucher & Partners’ Wei Ke and Wenbo Li.