PayThink

The supposedly noble heritage of the National Bank Act and the federal preemption power that goes along with it has never stood up to serious scrutiny.

Credit unions have a long history of serving diverse members. In a climate where programs designed to promote diversity, equity and inclusion are under constant attack, they should double-down on that commitment.

As banks have adopted multifactor customer authentication systems, they have inadvertently made it more difficult for many disabled customers to access their accounts. The fix is less complicated than it appears.

Regulators have suggested changes to the ratings system they use to gauge banks' safety and soundness that would reduce scrutiny of management quality. It would leave them blind to clear signs of future problems.

A value resurgence will overtake growth-stock dominance — the catalysts are already in motion, says Bernard Horn of Polaris Capital Management.

Regulators have signaled that the speed of progress in generative and agentic artificial intelligence makes producing definitive guidance impractical. That does not remove banks' obligation to face up to their risks.

Multiple states are testing the ability of federal banking regulations to preempt state laws. If they succeed, a core pillar of the U.S. economy — the dual banking system — could begin to crumble.

Tokenization of assets is going to transform global finance, but by dragging their heels on establishing clear rules of the road, U.S. regulators could be pushing the development of key infrastructure overseas.

Plans to allow U.S. banks to reduce the capital they hold create uncomfortable echoes of past turmoil in credit markets. As regulators contemplate relaxing standards meant to protect the public, they should look to past financial crises.

How much of the FOMO is manufactured?