PayThink

Its purpose was to study what consumers know about dispute resolution clauses. This is particularly important because most checking accountholders are covered by these clauses and may not be aware of them.

The credit might have been "gold-gilded," but it did not make sense, the first test that a credit must pass.

Although this initial phase of the program may seem beneficial as it seeks to keep European competitors honest, enforced convergence is a double-edged sword that raises worrisome issues for our country.

To ensure compliance with applicable consumer financial laws, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a manual on how its examiners will review private student lenders. The Student Lending Examination Procedures will be used to examine both banks and non-banks that offer student loans.

The Federal Reserve Board released a proposal that would overhaul the way regulators will supervise foreign banks within the U.S. This approach would be a significant difference from the board's current case-by-case method.

The role of the federal government in housing is the first question that needs to be answered, putting aside political rhetoric and preconceived notions about the subject.

In the past, bank investment aimed at gaining a proprietary edge through new methods of consumer payment has consistently been poorly rewarded. Expect another repeat.

In business speed and accuracy are necessary to remain competitive, yet the critical function of receivables management often gets overwhelmed in sheer volumes of paper and data flows. Checks are a big reason why.

Australia's Louise Petschler happened to be in the U.S. during the recent elections as part of a presentation to a group of credit unions. That experience was quite interesting, she said, sharing a couple of contrasts to how voting in Australia differs from voting in the United States.

Imagine this actually happening here. The country's largest savings banks and largest credit unions come together and agree to henceforth be known as "mutual banks." Both swear off ever using those two-word identifiers-savings bank and credit union-ever again. They even sign on with the same trade group.