Resources

Community banking representatives met with hostility a recommendation that the U.S. Postal Service consider offering financial services. The proposal raises questions about whether the Obama administration is trying to circumvent Congress and replace payday lenders with a government entity. American Banker staffers discuss.

Data breaches may be impossible to prevent, but there are ways to block card fraud from following. Andy Mattes, chief executive of ATM manufacturer Diebold, shares his views on how to secure ATMs and POS terminals.

Regulators have been investigating a broader range of offenses that can trigger money laundering charges than a few years ago, says Henry Balani, a managing director at consulting firm Accuity. In addition to traditional predicate offenses (such as sanctions violations), banks now must guard against potential laundering of proceeds from tax evasion, bribery and corruption, and securities and mortgage fraud. Also, global banks that hope to grow by financing trade, particularly in newly opened markets like Shanghai, must make sure that the goods transported under their letters of credit are not used for nefarious purposes, Balani says.

The massive Target data breach has reignited the debate over whether banks should do more to improve the security of the cards they issue in the United States. American Banker editors discuss why financial companies have been reluctant to upgrade their magnetic-stripe cards to the more secure chip-and-PIN cards used internationally, and what — if anything — the Target breach changes.

Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Regions and Fifth Third have all dropped out of the deposit advance business after federal regulators imposed new restrictions on the products, which are similar to payday loans. American Banker editors discuss the implications for banks, for the nonbank payday lenders who are facing regulation from other entities, and from the customers who may look elsewhere for alternative sources of short-term credit.

Community bank ConnectOne is selling itself to Center Bancorp of New Jersey, in a $243 million deal that the companies are calling a merger of equals. ConnectOne Chief Executive Frank Sorrentino, who will run the combined bank as Chairman and CEO, tells American Banker about the reasoning behind the deal's unusual structure and discusses his plans for the merged company's expansion in New Jersey and the New York area.

Retailers are being inventive in their use of prepaid cards and mobile wallets to improve their store loyalty programs. Many are learning to use payments technology in ways that may change the way banks view their partnerships with merchants.