PayThink

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week, including Dodd-Frank's impact on small institutions, Fed chair Janet Yellen's handling of attacks on her staff and Bitcoin's public but pseudonymous ledger.

Despite being a self-described "unabashed supporter" of NCUA, Truliant FCU CEO Marc Schaefer offers six reasons the agency's risk-based capital proposal – even after significant revision – doesn't fly with credit union executives.

Big banks are making critical risk management decisions with data that is old, incomplete or even inaccurate. This endangers the safety of the global financial system in more ways than one.

During Congressional testimony this week, Fed Chair Janet Yellen was sharply questioned about remarks made by Fed General Counsel Scott Alvarez expressing mild concern about a provision of Dodd-Frank. Yellen didn't defend Alvarez — or note that his comments actually reflected the view of the board.

The Obama administration's proposed bank tax would apply to all liabilities of large financial institutions — including their deposits. It's bad policy to tax the funding that banks use to make loans to consumers and businesses.

Many financial institutions have become cold and impersonal. It has become a chore to have to go into them and when you do, you can't wait to get out. Credit unions are supposed to be different.

The Massachusetts senator recently argued that community banks have little need for regulatory relief. But a closer look at recent FDIC data shows that the health of small banks has taken a turn for the worse in the aftermath of Dodd-Frank.

Samsung's purchase of LoopPay preps the company for mobile payments move, but the initiative will face challenges because of the initial dominance of magstripe technology and other factors.

By prosecuting executives responsible for banks' misdeeds, the DOJ can curtail illegal activity and restore public trust in big banks — and in the law itself.

Congress should end Puerto Rico's exclusion from federal bankruptcy protection — but it's unfair to leave the territory's existing creditors in the lurch.