Resources

Federal regulators are shining an increasingly harsh light on the debt collections practices of banks and third-party agencies, forcing many to drastically alter the ways in which they interact with delinquent consumers. American Banker outlines the changes underway and how they may trickle down to collections efforts around the nation.

Global banking regulators should increase their focus on uniform capital standards and be less flexible about how risk-weighted assets are calculated, according to consultant Mayra Rodríguez Valladares. She spoke with American Banker about how to strengthen the banking system by giving the Basel committee "more credibility."

BBVA's agreement to buy the online banking startup Simple will help improve its mobile banking and other technology, but the deal also highlights the stakes for other traditional banks as the industry tries to innovate. American Banker editors discuss which banks are the most forward-thinking and how other traditional financial companies can learn from startups and other disrupters.

The country's biggest bank has called a halt to its branch-expansion strategy of a year ago. Instead, JPMorgan Chase this week said it would start building smaller, cheaper branches with fewer tellers and more technology, as well as more offices for financial planners to meet with its wealthiest clients. American Banker editors discuss JPMorgan's new branch strategy and what it could signal for other banks.

Big banks survived the financial crisis, but their ability to attract top young talent may not. That's the argument of Kevin Roose, author of the book "Young Money," which chronicles three years in the lives of eight young, and increasingly disenchanted, investment bank employees. Roose discusses why some of the junior bankers he shadowed have left finance; what banks can -- and can't -- do to change their cultures; and how the industry's efforts to promote diversity are still falling short.