PayThink

Homeownership is out of reach for too many Americans. The next president could change that with a few simple policies aimed at encouraging private capital to invest in residential mortgages.

While the average consumer’s banking and payment account information may not be considered as highly-sensitive as the "non official cover" list from Mission Impossible, multi-layer authentication is still the best way to fend off fraudsters.

Some community banks stick with rigid or outdated policies out of habit. That winds up hurting them when customers take their business to financial institutions that use technology to make transactions more convenient.

The longer the CFPB waits to implement tighter regulations for the payday lending industry, the more Americans will find themselves trapped in a cycle of unaffordable debt.

Not long ago, mentioning the word aggregation would make any e-commerce risk analyst cringe. That’s now changed as payment facilitators have emerged as a key value add for acquirers and processors.

Regulators need to be able to impose tough requirements on foreign banks with U.S. units in order to safeguard the domestic financial system from turbulence abroad. Sen. Richard Shelby's proposal to raise the asset threshold for systemically important banks would put that ability in jeopardy.

Because the size and structure of current private balance sheets depend upon low interest rates, it will be tough for the Federal Reserve to raise rates without upsetting the economic expansion.

Blockchain technology is garnering a lot of buzz these days—and with good reason. Enthusiasts are experimenting with ways to apply the technology to everything from secure digital voting systems and stock exchanges to music distribution, smart contracts, and health records.

Rejiggering the credit-scoring system won’t do much to expand credit access. Instead, banks and financial services companies should start thinking about new ways to evaluate the situational factors that influence borrowers’ reliability.

Mobile payments are quickly becoming an integral part of consumers’ daily lives. In order for businesses to stay competitive, it’s important for them to stay on top of the trends in the industry.