PayThink

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's term expires in 2026, and the chances are good that he will ride off into the sunset. But there is a path for him to be renominated for a third term, and he's defied long political odds before.

Bankers and financial services professionals should be monitoring the rollout of the EU Digital Identity Wallet initiative, as it signals changes likely to arrive in the U.S.

The basics of good banking — a strong balance sheet, customer service and solid risk analysis — will always be important. But in the future, technological competence will be the difference between the sector's winners and losers.

With Americans suffering from high housing costs and declining supply, we cannot afford to watch a massive government-sponsored enterprise sit on billions in retained earnings.

The banking industry is using the threat of lawsuits to push regulators toward a less stringent final rule on capital. Those in favor of tougher rules should fight fire with fire.

Washington policymakers are not adopting policies necessary to keep the U.S. on the cutting edge in payments. Fortunately, the dual banking system offers an alternative path forward.

Micromanaging the terms under which payment networks are willing to process debit-card transactions is bad for both businesses and consumers. Congress has the power to roll back intrusive regulations.

The most important issue on voters' minds is inflation, and the inflation blame game has heated up with the upcoming presidential election. Putting politics aside, an objective economist would blame neither candidate, since the underlying cause of our inflation, like so many other problems today, was COVID-19.

The fate of Capital One's acquisition of Discover should be determined based on its own merits and not be maligned for the foibles of other failed banks.

The OCC's new Vital Signs initiative gives bankers an important tool to help them assess the financial health and stability of their customers, and to help them build a strong foundation for the future.