PayThink

The U.S. Supreme Court will soon rule on a case of far-reaching importance for any party affected by a Chapter 11 plan in a business bankruptcy case. At stake is the longstanding expectation of secured lenders that they'll either be repaid or permitted to take their collateral by means of a credit bid; in other words, paying for the collateral with their lien.

We are in danger of a harmful proposal, which could be implemented this week. The proposal by the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service would require all banks located within the United States to report interest payments made to nonresident alien depositors. The IRS in turn would exchange this information with foreign governments for data about Americans in those countries.

The GSE could have approved a short sale that would have let Louise Davidson stay in her home as a renter and eventually have the opportunity to buy it back. True to form, Fannie evicted her instead.

According to American folklore, the famously long-legged Abraham Lincoln was once asked: "Abe, how long should a man's legs be?" Lincoln is reported to have answered: "Long enough to reach the ground."

Too-big-to-fail stifles economic growth. Oligopolies and asset concentration strangle competition and suppress innovation, job creation and free markets in financial services, as they once did in oil, steel and telecommunications.

Industry watchers expecting foreclosure trends to follow a predictable path are destined for surprises, as the recent figures from RealtyTrac demonstrate. March marked a 4-year low in new foreclosures, with actions increasing in judicial states, but surprisingly declining in non-judicial ones. In the aftermath of the AG settlement with the major servicers, this result seems counterintuitive to say the least. However looks may be deceiving on closer examination.

Though it caved to First Premier’s lawsuit, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has failed to resolve the uncertainty about the rules for credit card fees.

The Go name, says Peter Lucas "establishes a fresh, vibrant brand personality. It's short, memorable and easy to spell. It's fun. And young. And it fits on banners and business cards and leaves lots of white space."

One of the great differentiators for credit unions is access. Members are seeking convenience and easy access to their accounts.

Co-Op Financial Services is deserving of a thanks.