PayThink

Bank directors and officers who agree to settle claims brought by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. in its capacity as receiver may find themselves next confronting a lifetime ban from the industry.

For too long, both companies and regulators have bought into a narrative that makes the financial industry dependent on the government for rescues and direction. It’s time to pen a new plot.

New York’s Department of Financial Services (NY DFS) has recently issued guidance on its BitLicense proposal, which would create a transitional license for Bitcoin.

Many people in Brazil don't have bank accounts-but they do have smartphones. These qualities, in combination with favorable regulations, make the country likely to adopt mobile payments in a big way.

Appointing a chief ethics officer can help banks maintain their integrity and foster public trust. Banks should also develop decision processes that explicitly address the question of whether they should do something, as opposed to whether they can.

Following the disclosure by a name brand retailer that their point-of-sale (POS) system had been breached, shoppers outside one of the retailer’s brick and mortar locations unanimously told a television reporter that cash was the safest way to pay in-person.

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week.

Bank employees will inevitably make mistakes. Lenders need to invest in people and technology to reduce their impact.

Total holiday sales are expected to reach $863 billion in 2014, up from $822 billion last year. That is a staggering amount of money, and the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas make or break a sales year for large and small businesses alike.

Most big companies achieve success by squeezing vendors, lowering prices, improving efficiency and giving consumers what they want. But in the topsy-turvy world of banking, the most disliked financial institutions end up at the top of the food chain.