Resources

The biggest challenge facing bankers these days is not regulation or economic sluggishness. It's figuring out how to charge for products and services that bank customers have grown to expect for free, says PNC's CEO-in-waiting William Demchak.

Top bankers went out of their way to praise the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and its Director, Richard Cordray, at American Banker's Retail Financial Services Conference. Despite the happy talk, they stopped short of calling for the GOP to end its opposition to the bureau or for Cordray's directorship to be made permanent.

Hackers are launching increasingly sophisticated attacks on financial institutions. For bankers, there are still effective counter-measures to put in place and ways to keep the bad guys at bay.

The economy is well served by banks of all sizes, and the forced breakup of the biggest institutions would be misguided, says Zions Bancorp. Chief Executive Harris Simmons.

Over 40 million Americans are under- or un-banked. Operation HOPE Chief Executive John Hope Bryant discusses how banks can make customers out of this under-served market and do well by doing good in the process.

As banks struggle to find new sources of profitable business, are some making risky loans, delving into areas where they have little experience or are otherwise stretching in ways that they will eventually regret.

As banks seek to bolster defenses against fraud involving wire transfers and other transactions, some experts argue that they should be looking to people rather than technology for answers.

Mouths dropped when Attorney General Eric Holder openly admitted that the government fears prosecuting big banks would harm the economy. But what about going after individual bankers for fraud? Does the Department of Justice really lack incriminating evidence — or just political will?

With fatter margins than high-end corporate banking and customers who are more interested in relationships and service than negotiating the lowest price, the commercial middle market is the industry's sweet spot, says consultant and executive recruiter Rod Taylor.