PayThink

What is the sound of one hand clapping? For Buddhists, it's a thorny, Zen question. For credit unions, it's the Washington Hilton Ballroom on Feb. 24,1998.

The individuals who comprise the NCUA board and their qualifications and experience are of primary concern to the entire credit union system. They are of critical importance to the overall health of the nation's credit unions.

Jay R. Murray, President and CEO of Mid-Atlantic Corporate, responds to Frank Diekmann's column on credit union trends.

When a single official has very great power over a small number of firms such as the megabanks, the result too often is regulatory capture.

Coinbase makes it simple to buy and sell bitcoins via a bank account, but plays only to the low-fee, frictionless nature of Bitcoin and fails to leverage its unique privacy aspects.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has shown interest in the student loan marketplace, noting its potential to cause systemic problems, and the agency wants to assist struggling student borrowers.

The Financial Stability Oversight Council was created as part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank reform law to identify risks and respond to emerging threats to financial stability. The FSOC exercised its authority for the first time last November, when the council issued recommendations to the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding the regulation of money-market mutual funds.

The market should pay more attention to whether banks are adequately capitalized for unabated fraud, such as misrepresentations of securities or insider trading, settlement complications and other operational failures.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is seeking public comment on the most beneficial ways for Congress and regulators to step in and aid distressed student loan borrowers.

Recreating this industry involves regulation that more effectively aligns the interests of lenders and borrowers, consumer education and outreach and market-driven solutions.