Merchant

Gift card, reward points and payment information will continue to be exposed and available to whoever wants to purchase it. But it’s up to companies to implement security barriers that devalue this information, writes Don Duncan, security engineer for NuData Security.

Consumers who own multiple cards often use them as budgeting tools — a credit card for entertainment, a prepaid card for groceries, etc. — but that method typically can't be applied to any purchases that are paid in installments.

The economy could “positively slow down in mid-2019” and consumer debt levels are a huge concern, but technology and lessons learned from the crisis could still create opportunity for small banks, says Beneficial’s Gerry Cuddy ahead of a big speech on current conditions.

JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon downplayed "too big to fail," warned against the risk of cyberattacks and lectured high-tech giants about their privacy shortcomings during an appearance in Washington.

Banks’ tab to fight hackers rose 9% from last year by one measure. Investors want them to rein in tech investments, but security experts say the crooks are getting smarter and smarter.

California will be the first state requiring public companies to meet gender quotas for their boards of directors, and women in the payments industry see the move as positive — with some caveats.

Payments will melt into the wider commerce experience and create new incremental value for consumers, according to Brendan Miller, a principal analyst at Forrester.

China’s Golden Week started on Monday and with it, global cities and merchants are boldly promoting Alipay in an effort to capture Chinese tourist dollars. At the same time, merchants are building out a competitive acceptance network that could someday rival the major payment card networks.

The cost of fighting fraud at financial institutions is up nearly 10 percent from last year. That means credit unions face significant challenges in being ready for the next threat.

The central bank is mulling measures to broaden the number of banks receiving reg relief; Lisa Stevens was a top deputy to the former retail chief during the phony accounts scandal.