PayThink

"The Fed has increasingly appeared disinterested in doing its important, clearly defined job and more interested in doing mine," writes Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., a member of the Senate Banking Committee.

Moves by bank lobbyists to try to restrict credit union-bank mergers could wind up depriving many consumers of needed financial services.

Not all reforms are created equal. Only those truly taking a consumer-first approach — such as curtailing fees and allowing for grace periods — will see lasting benefits in customer loyalty, writes the acting comptroller of the currency.

Most executives are keenly aware of the hardships customers face, but do they realize that many of their workers are also living paycheck to paycheck?

A handful of snafus, some a decade old, shouldn’t tar an entire line of payment products that are a lifeline for many consumers and have helped millions of Americans access and manage their finances during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A growing chorus of voices seems to share the view of former New York banking regulator Maria Vullo, who once said, “Toddlers play in sandboxes. Adults play by the rules.” But any movement away from the collaborative development of regulations for new financial services products would be a setback for consumer choice.

The board’s original three-member structure was superior to the five-person model in use today. Here's why it should be reinstated.

BNPL providers earn most of their money from their merchant partnerships, not late fees, as their critics claim.

Under procedural changes recently adopted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the director could pursue more enforcement actions administratively without federal court approval. Financial firms may have a harder time defending themselves as a result.

A supervisory letter detailing their failings in assessing exposure to a collapsed hedge fund suggests that the Federal Reserve believes banks are falling short in basic risk management.