PayThink

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

In most states, the good-faith lending decisions made by bank officers and directors are protected from liability, even if the loans sour and the bank fails. But bankers and directors beware: you can still be sued for simple negligence.

There are plenty of reasons why small banks may be reluctant to amp up their social media presence. But this week's bad weather illustrates how these platforms can provide a real value-add.

FATCA requirements affect a broad cross section of stakeholders and policies within financial institutions including, but not limited to, client onboarding, investment banking, documentation, treasury and collateral management.

The U.S. Postal Service, well positioned to compete with payday lenders, could redirect the $7.4 billion Americans annually spend on these types of loans back into the U.S. economy. But it would have to become a proper bank to do so.

Google has made an attempt to bolster its mobile wallet by opening it to more consumers and incentivizing them to use it, but it is unlikely that these changes will help the in-store payment component.

Being persistent and relentlessly reasonable can succeed over expressions of outrage, however justified that may be.

International banks and other global private firms need to ensure that they do more than pay lip service to the privacy laws of sovereign states. In fact, the penalties for failure to comply with privacy laws in many countries can be very serious indeed.

There are a number of definitions included in the Volcker Rule that do not fully align to the definitions contained in the Federal Reserve Board’s market risk capital rule.

Action by federal lawmakers, not guidance from the Justice Department, is what’s needed to give banks comfort in providing services to marijuana businesses in states where pot is legal.